New Life of the Sound Demon
by Haraio
Summary: What do you do when someone you thought you hated gives you the chance to start a whole new life? Tayuya has to make that decision now. Rated for language, brutal rape, violence, blood and lemons. Tayuya x Shikamaru drama/romance/action
1. Chapter One: Alone, not Broken

**New Life of the Sound Demon -** By Haraio

Well, I thought it was about time I wrote a Naruto fanfic. I've been reading around on this site for a little while, and some of the stories here (Jetslinger's in particular) rekindled my love for Tayuya. So here is my first attempt at a story. Might continue this at some point. If people want more, I'll give them more :-p

Disclaimer: No one on this site owns Naruto, and neither do I.

**Chapter One: Alone, not Broken**

Flickering shadows wavered over the rough stone walls as gentle rays of light penetrated the leaves of the trees outside. The branches flickered slightly in the soft morning breeze, making the light swim in patches over the uneven brickwork of the jail wall. Something red glinted softly in the sunlight, swaying back and forth with the few gusts of wind that made it through the small, barred window above the kunoichi's head. The young girl was sitting on a old, worn-out mattress in the small cell, her arms around her tucked-up knees and her chin resting gently on her kneecaps. Fuck, she was bored like shit. The red-haired girl had been locked in there for the last three weeks, after that one disastrous mission. They had been supposed to bring back that Uchiha faggot to Orochimaru-sama, but they had been picked off one at a time by those fucking Leaf brats! Her neutral expression turned into an angry scowl at the thought of those Konoha fuckheads that had dared stopping them. They had left Jirobou behind first, assuming that stupid fatso could at least slow them down for a little while. Of course he couldn't. All the fucking idiot thought about was taking their chakra. She had felt it when Jirobou died. He had died quickly. One second his presence was there, strong and clear. Then suddenly it was gone. Not like Kidoumaru. Tayuya had felt him slowly fading away, imagening in her mind how he was most likely bleeding to death somewhere in the forest. Sakon had also died quickly. In fact both Sakon and Ukon had died together, at the same time. Tayuya wondered uncaringly which one of the Konoha shitheads had managed to kill both the twins in one go. Sighing, she closed her eyes, rugging softly back and forth to comfort herself. It didn't matter anymore. They were dead, and she was alive. Even if they were alive, they wouldn't have come all the way into Konoha just to save her. They had never been friends. They had been team mates, which meant that she could trust them to fight against the enemy rather than against her, but that was it. They had shared a room in Otogakure. They had even grouped up against her a few times, making the most of the fact that she was the only girl on the team. She had hated them for it. She felt no real loss to the fact that they were gone, except that now she was all alone. Only her. And she hated to be alone.

And her cap. Lifting her hand, she slowly pulled off her cap, releasing her half-length red hair to the cold prison air. Lowering her still healing legs down to the floor, she placed her cap in her lap and looked at it, the simple sight soothing her. It was a very simple cap, made simply to cover her hair and prevent it from getting in her eyes or mouth while she played her flute. But it was not just a cap. It was her closest friend. A good friend who had always been there, to shield her from the outside world when despair and hopelessness would take its hold in her. She didn't even remember where she had got it, or who had given it to her. All she knew, was that it had always been there. It was a natural part of her, as natural as her arms and legs. It was the only precious thing she had left. Her comrades were dead, and her beloved flute lay in pieces under a fuckload of trees. The cap was her only friend now.

Her lips jerked slightly, as she thought of memories long past and gone, memories of a time before Orochimaru, before the Sound Four. Or even just before this mission. She hadn't wanted to end up like this. She had wanted to die in battle, in a blaze of glory, while dragging a dozen other fuckers with her to fucking burning Hell. A faint smile floated like a ghost over her mouth, as the sun rose to reveal her face. Her pink lips showed the reflection of a smile, but it was a smile without hope, like the sun hidden behind a black cloud. Her brown eyes were dull and lifeless, like she had lost all will to even think about fighting back. Satou Tayuya of the Sound Four was a broken wreck of her former self. Three weeks, almost without food to eat and only her own urine to drink, had nearly broken the normally loud and foulmouthed shinobi completely. Of course, these conditions could not have broken the strong-willed girl alone. When the Konoha shinobi had found her in the woods, they had rushed the unconscious girl to the hospital, where they had healed her shattered legs. Then, when she was out of critical danger, they had unceremoniously thrown her into the tiny cell she was sitting in. Then the torture had begun for real, the interrogation and prying for information on her master's plans.

That pineapple-headed cocksucker should just have killed me, Tayuya thought sullenly to herself as she closed her eyes and put on her cap again, tucking her hair under the rough material. Opening her eyes again, she looked around in the cell. It was tiny, very tiny. Even her bedroom back in Otogakure had been bigger, even with the three other fuckers taking up most of the space. The prison cell was roughly two by three meters wide, and just short of two meters under the concrete ceiling. A thick steel door on the long wall and a tiny window up on the opposite wall were the only things that broke the monotomy of quickly lain concrete bricks. The only furniture in the room were the old, stinking bed and a toilet, which was essentially a bucket. The miasma from Tayuya's leavings filled the cell with the stench of feces and urine. Every time the bucket was full, she had to pour it into the small drain hole in the corner. From there it went straight into the basement, where the leavings from all the prisoners ended up. The stench was horrible, but Tayuya almost didn't mind it anymore. She had just stopped caring. It was all so pointless. She didn't want to live anymore. The shit-like porridge they fed her was barely enough to keep her alive, which was the whole point. She had no energy to fight back, when they once in a while came to interrogate her. They asked her questions about Orochimaru-sama, about Otogakure, about the Uchiha faggot. When she didn't answer, they would hit her. Abuse her. Physically and mentally. She just wanted to get away from it all. No more interrogation.

No sooner had the thought graced her mind, before there was a sharp sound of scraping metal. Tayuya recognised that sound, her mind dully registering it. It meant that her door was opening.

Time for another couple of hours of abuse, Tayuya thought to herself. There was no remorse in her mind, no sadness, no fear. After three weeks in these horrid conditions, the fourteen year old girl's mind had lost whatever feelings were left. She was a wreck. A forgotten shell of a human, trapped in a tiny cell. With her legs closed together and her hands in her lap, Tayuya looked at the door. Her eyes betrayed no emotion, as she waited for her torturers to enter. The small window in the door opened, and Tayuya could see a bird-faced ANBU mask through the bars. In the next moment, the heavy steel door swung open, and Tayuya looked at three members of the Konoha special force, ANBU. They were all clad in identical clothing. Grey, armless shirts and pants, with straps filled with weapons and scrolls over their muscular chests. Each one of them wore a ceramic mask, modeled as an animal. In addition to Bird-face, there were two others, who looked like foxes to her tired mind. One part of her mind suddenly reacted to a strange detail; they were all wearing masks. Normally, there would two ANBU and one member of the Interrogation squad, who would never wear masks. But not now. There were no interrogators today. Tayuya looked at them, her eyebrow cocked. What were they here for? Realising it didn't do any good to just think the question to herself, Tayuya spoke out, her voice croaked and harsh:

"What are you here for, goatfuckers? Don't you have any other kids to abuse?" she added, with a slight scowl. She would never give in to these bastards. Never.

The ANBU to the right stepped forward, a silent step forward until he stood only two feet from Tayuya. She looked up, gazing into the expressionless mask. She could now see that it was not a fox, but looked more like some sort of badger or wolverine. She smiled softly. If Tayuya had wanted, she could just lift her hand and punch the fucker right in the jinglebells. Actually, she wanted to do that. Really badly. But before she had the time, the ANBU punched her instead. Tayuya had no time to react before the punch landed right under her left eye, sending her off the bed and to the hard stone floor. She had not even seen it coming. Her hat fell off her head from the force of the punch, landing in the corner of the cell, in a small puddle of water. Her hair waved softly as her hand immediately sought her sore cheek, and she could feel something warm running from the corner of her eye and down her cheek. Not tears. She knew she wasn't crying. Blood? The fucking ballfondler had punched her bleeding!

"What do you want, dipshit?!" Tayuya yelled in anger, glaring defiantly up at her attacker, daring him to hit her again. She would rip his nutsack from his pants and force it down his throat if he did.

"Are you gonna interrogate me again? Huh? HUH?!" she spat, saliva flying at the last word. The ANBU simply watched the snarling kunoichi. She was sitting flat on her butt in the corner of the small cell, and she was trying to intimidate them? The ANBU almost found it amusing. Almost. Pleased with the reaction he had gotten from the girl, Badger-face stepped forward and kicked, sending his shoe into the girl's unprotected chin. Because of his using of the left foot, she was thrown not against the stone wall but against the bed, her head landing on the relatively soft mattress instead of the hard concrete. The ANBU had not put his full force behind the kick, but Tayuya was still sure she heard something cracking in her jaw when the leather shoe connected with her right-side jaw. Her mouth felt half numb, and if looks could kill, Badger-face's fate would definately not have been a pleasant one. Tayuya glared daggers at the three masked men, while her clenched hand rubbed on the fresh bruise on her cheek, if only as a distraction so she wouldn't punch the man in front of her.

"Oh yeah, that's real tough of you! Hitting a poor, defenceless girl, huh?" Tayuya sneered despite the throbbing pain of her jaw. Something definately felt loose, and as she leaned forward and spat, she saw a bloodied tooth falling out along with spatters of blood. She glared from the crimson tooth laying on the concrete floor, to the ANBU fucker standing in front of her, daring him to hit her again. Badger-face lifted his fist high again, ready to strike her straight in the face. Tayuya smiled. Hopefully, he would kill her now and end her miserable life. She just wanted to die. But the strike never fell. Looking up, Tayuya realised with some surprise that Bird-face had grabbed the arm of the other Leaf shinobi, preventing him from punching her. As the offending man turned to look at the Bird-face, the man shook his head.

"Don't let her mocking get to you. We'll break her like we agreed." the man whispered, using his chakra to distort the sound waves, preventing the girl from hearing his voice. "Just like Ibiki-sama told us to." Badger-face nodded, remembering the orders the scarred leader of the Interrogation Squad had given them. Behind his ceramic mask, the man smiled gleefully. It would be alot of fun breaking down this foulmouthed girl.

"Satou Tayuya of Otogakure." Bird-face said as he let go of the other man's fist, his voice stern and neutral as he spoke, unaffected in a way that pissed the young Sound girl off. Nevertheless, Tayuya snapped her mouth shut and looked up at him. Folding her legs in the Lotus position, she placed her hands in her lap. She was almost like another person, the ANBU thought. The shouting and swearing demon was suddenly replaced by a calm and controlled saint. An amused smile played over the ANBU's hidden face before he continued. They would soon wipe that calm and controlled appearance off her face.

"To answer your question; no, we're not here to interrogate you." he said, in a polite and calm voice that was starting to get on Tayuya's already short nerves. "At least not directly." he added after a few seconds, with a vocal smirk.

"And what the bloody fuck is that supposed to mean, shithead?" Tayuya snapped, cocking her head slightly to the side, meeting the masked eyes with a sneer. Even if she was trapped in corner of a small prison cell, and outnumbered three-to-one, she would not be intimidated. She was one of Orochimaru-sama's elite shinobi. You're the only elite shinobi alive stupid, her mind chirped in, and she shut the voice down. She didn't want to be reminded of that fact. She needed to be strong. Looking up at the three men in front of her, her muscles tensed unvoluntarily. She had a bad feeling about the ANBU's tone of voice.

The lead ANBU, with the bird mask, looked at the snapping and yelling girl in front of them. The sight was actually a little amusing, and he was still surprised such a young girl had such a...colourful vocabulary. The furious redhead almost reminded him of a pissed-off rodent, sitting on the floor in front of the badger-masked shinobi. But, they had a job to do. And it would not be a pleasant one, at least not for the girl.

FLASHBACK

The three ANBU stood in a dark room, the darkness complete and utterly without light. In the twilight that their highly trained senses granted them, they could feel eachother's presence, as well as the man who was standing in front of them. Even if none of the three could see, they knew the man that was standing before them. He had been described as the Devil Himself. A master torturer and interrogator like none other, Morino Ibiki was not the type of person you would want to meet alone in a dark alley.

"You haven't broken that brat yet?" The voice was cold and even, and even the normally fearless ANBU members took an unvoluntary step backwards. The leader of the Interrogator Force had a voice and tone which could set everyone on edge when he spoke. It was like having a razor running back and forth over their throat, the ANBU thought. They had been in Ibiki's presence before, and it always felt good to get away. There was something very unsettling about the man.

"I'm sorry, Ibiki-san. She is a tough nut to crack..." the bird-masked ANBU said, before the same low, cold voice cut him off.

"She's a girl. You've had female prisoners before. You know how to break them." The ANBU knew what the man was talking about, but he still felt uneasy. It went against all morals and ethics, even if the girl was a high-ranking criminal.

"But, Ibiki-san, she's just a girl..."

"I DON'T CARE IF SHE'S A FUCKING CHILD!" the man suddenly boomed in anger, making the three masked men take another quick step backwards. The black-clad man must have realised the movement of the three, cause his voice took on a edge of vindictive smugness. "You have your orders, now go." The three ANBU bowed, despite the darkness, before hurrying out.

END FLASHBACK

"Oi, donkeyfucker! I'm fuckin' talking to you here!" Tayuya yelled, looking up at the man who seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. He hadn't answered her question, and it was really starting to piss the young Sound-nin off. Finally deciding that her patience was reached, Tayuya jumped up and lunged forward towards the Bird-face, throwing a quick punch straight towards the mask. The rest went in a blurry motion, and Tayuya didn't even know what was happening. Suddenly, she stood with her back towards the door and her front bending over the old bed, her arms pulled painfully backwards, forcing her torso down and forward. Two of the ANBU held her arms, she realised suddenly. With an angry cry, she lifted her right foot and tried to kick after Fox-face, who was holding her right arm. Effortlessly, the ANBU simply grabbed her foot with his free arm, and Badger-face did the same to her left leg. Suddenly, Tayuya of Otogakure found herself in a very vulnerable position. Her mind went numb, as she heard a light chuckle behind her. Tilting her head to the side, she glanced backwards. Bird-face was standing behind her, and even in her weakened state Tayuya could clearly see the chakra covering his hand.

"What are you doing, you fuckers?! Let me go!!" Tayuya yelled at the ANBU with the badger-mask, even though she knew it was futile. She tried struggling against their grip, but they didn't give her a chance. Both her hands and her legs were locked tight, and she only ended up moving her torso a little against the restrains. In responce to her question, the Bird-face lifted his index and middle finger, and placed them on the young girl, right where her backside met her behind.

"Shinmon no Jutsu: Neikiddo Shinsou (Interrogation Technique: Naked Truth)." the man said quietly, and released his built-up chakra through his two fingers. Tayuya gasped at the touch, and her eyes widened in shock as she realised what was happening. The chakra surged rapidly through her clothing, removing it from her body. Where the chakra flowed through the fabric, her clothes simply vaporized off of her lithe frame. Her Sound uniform, which had once marked her as an Elite Shinobi of Orochimaru, vanished in small whisks of smoke in the cold air. Soon, all that remained in the cell was three Konoha ANBU, restraining a completely nude girl. Tayuya gasped softly as the cold air touched her naked skin, and she could feel goosebumps popping up on her arms. Looking down slowly, as if forcing herself to see, she confirmed her fears. All her clothing was gone. Even the bracers on her arms were gone, as if wiped off her body. Her eyes still wide in surprise, she turned her head to the side, looking at the fox-masked man holding her right arm.

"You won't..."

Despite his reservations against doing this to someone as young as this girl, Bird-face still had to admit it was quite a sight as the clothes vanished, leaving the girl's slender body open in front of him. Her skin was pale, from the lack of sunlight and proper food, and she was more skinny than when they had brought her here. Still, her body was well-shaped and slender, her features clearly having a hint of a grown woman in them. Curious, he placed his palm on the point where he had placed his fingers a few seconds before, as if just to confirm that there was actually skin there and not demon's scales. He smiled as he felt the girl shudder at his touch and trying to pull away, which she was still unable to due to the other two men restraining her. Deciding there was no reason to delay it any longer, Bird-face slowly unbuckled his pants..

The cell was quiet, except for the laboured breathing of the fuming redhead, as a soft thump filled the air. Fearing what the sound meant, Tayuya leant her head forward and glanced under her own naked thighs, the sight confirming the terror-filled suspicion. The ANBU's grey pants lay in a heap around his muscular legs, and when Tayuya tilted her head a little more forward, she could see the man's thick organ hanging half-erect between his thighs, pointing at her like a sword being drawn. Instantly, she started trashing violently, struggling and trying to get out of the iron grip of the two other men.

"Oh no, don't you fucking dare, you bastard!! I'm gonna rip your fucking balls off and shove them up your...ass..." she trailed weakly off, as the horryfying realisation that she was in no position to prove her threats sank into her. Her struggling faltered for a few moments, and the two ANBU holding her took their chance to get a better grip on her, moving from her ankles to her thighs, wrapping their lower arms around her thighs. Tayuya was now in a more vulnerable position than before, their strong arms spreading her thighs forcefully apart, while their other hands pushed her face roughly down on the mattress. Tayuya lay on her cheek on the old bed, her nostrils drawing in frantic breaths of old urine and body odours. But despite this horrible humiliation, despite the certain fact that she would get raped, it almost felt good. Tayuya was terrified, out of her mind with shock, because a small part of her mind actually wanted this. No, what am I thinking?! Tayuya yelled in her mind, mentally kicking herself. But she couldn't help it. She could feel the warmth in her lower regions, building like in a hot spring sauna. No no no no no no no no! Tayuya repeated to herself, trying to deny what her body was telling her.

Suddenly she felt a cold touch to her behind, and she startled, trying to pull away from the hard, chill surface. She realised that the ANBU behind her had placed his armoured palm on her asscheek, and she recoiled in dread as she suspected what was going to happen. And she was right, as in the next second she felt a touch to her most private area. She felt something hard poke against her red and damp lips, and she let out a slight cry. Her struggles renewed, and she managed to pull away a little before being effectively restricted by the two ANBU.

"Fuck, hold her still damn it.." the third ANBU snapped, and Tayuya could once again feel the object pushing against her pussy. But this time she couldn't pull away, and she had to stand still and feel the organ push her swollen lips open. She winced in anticipation as she expected it to slide deep into her, but it just kept spreading her open. How big is it?! Tayuya thought with slight panic. She had been forced to 'service' the other members of the Sound Four from time to time, and even though they were probably a lot stronger than these damn Leaf bastards, they were still just kids like her. They had all been only fourteen at the time of their deaths, just like Tayuya. And though they had often been forceful, they just couldn't compare with adults in sheer size and girth. Tayuya whimpered slightly, trying to suppress the show of weakness, but eventually failed. Just as she thought her stretched pussy was going to break in half, the throbbing organ slid inside her with a wet sound. Tayuya gasped and closed her eyes, trying to ignore the feeling of the bastard's thick member inside her. She hated them all. Hate burned white-hot in her mind, as she heard her rapist's mocking laugh.

"Hey, check this out! The foulmouthed slut is all wet! The cunt fuckin' loves this!" The three men laughed loudly, and Bird-face even had the guts to smack her asscheek, letting the sound of her skin fill the cell. Tayuya snarled under her ragged breath, her eyes tightly closed. She would make these bastards pay if she ever got out of this prison. Oh, how she would make them pay. All this pain, humiliation and abuse would be paid back hundredfolds, no, thousandfolds. The guy behind her began thrusting into her at a quick pace, slamming his thick member mercilessly into her young cunt, and Tayuya tried as best as she could to hold back the whimpers of pain that threatened to leave her lungs. I will not show them weakness! Tayuya mentally yelled to herself, focusing on not making a sound as the ANBU fucked her violently. I will not let them break me! she repeated to herself, focusing on those words, as if they could wipe away the burning pain in her most sacred place. Salty tears welled up in her eyes, but she squeezed her eyelids shut ever tighter. I will not cry! I will not cry! I WILL NOT CRY!!!

Suddenly she felt a weight on the mattress next to her squinting face, and in the next second something warm and heavy landed on her cheek, startling the young girl. Opening her eyes in surprise, the tears that were saved up there began rolling out, her cheek turning moist with salty tears. Badger-face had at some point during the forceful rape left her thigh to the guy currently fucking her. He, in turn, had pulled down his pants, and Tayuya suddenly realised what exactly was resting on her cheek. Glancing up with tear-filled eyes, she could only see the ceramic mask staring hollowly back at her. But she could imagine that behind that bloody mask, the guy was grinning widely, expecting her to service him too. Hate boiled hotly in Tayuya's mind, as she gave him a death glare, promising him pain. Lots of pain. Reluctantly, the young redhead opened her mouth. Tayuya stuck her tounge out slighly, laying it like a welcoming pillow for the man's heavy organ. It still wasn't fully erect, but Tayuya could already tell he was distinctly bigger than the ANBU already eagerly ravaging her swollen and sore cunt. Suddenly she was very glad it was not him who was fucking her. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head slightly backwards, welcoming the man into her mouth. The ANBU shifted himself slightly for a better angle, before he placed the thick head on the girl's soft and warm tounge. A pleasure-filled moan rose in his throat, but the sound caught on his lips as he saw the grin on Tayuya's lips. It was like staring at a succubus from the deepest pits of Hell. Too late he realised his error, as the red-haired demon pulled her tounge back, revealing rows of sharp fangs. The man tried in horror to pull out, but he was too slow. Like in slow motion, the girl's hungry fangs sank deeply into his precious member, right where the thick tip met the rest of his length, and the man's gutwrenching scream filled the whole sector of the Konoha prison.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!! FUCK, FUCK!!" Badger-face screamed, his hands clawing wildly on the girl's face. A twisted, sadistic grin was on her young face, as her teeth bit deeply into the soft flesh in her mouth. The man tried to punch her in the face, but even then she didn't let go. She would show him real pain, like she had promised in her glare. He would remember this day. She would make him fucking remember. She would bite his fucking cock off! Tayuya grinned evilly, but sadly the other two ANBU came to the man's rescue. The fox-masked ANBU who had been holding her right arm and leg suddenly grabbed her long, red hair, yanking it forcefully back until the angle forced her to let go of the other man's mangled cock. Badger-face stumbled backwards, landing with his ass on the cold stone floor, both his hands grabbing his cock, bloody screams of vengeance erupting from his throat. Tayuya grinned and spat on the man sitting on the floor, blood mixed with her saliva. Licking her lips mockingly, she was sure she could taste his fucking inbred blood! Suddenly, the man who had been fucking her so roughly jerked her up into a standing position. Her surprised face twisted to meet his expressionless mask, before the ANBU landed an angry punch to her left cheekbone. The force of the blow caught Tayuya off guard, and if the man hadn't been holding her shoulder with an iron grip, she would have fallen straight to the floor. As it was, she didn't fall, being held upright by the man's strong hand. Her cheek bruised and numb, she was about to turn her head back to show him the width of her vocabulary, but another punch stopped any words coming from her mouth. Again and again he punched her, until warm blood was streaming from both edges of her mouth and the left of her face was all bruised up. Tayuya's head hung limp, taking one punch after another, blood and tears running down her face, and her labored breath being the only discernable sound coming from her. Eventually the man stopped violating her face with his fists, just in time for another hand to clamp around the young girl's throat, making her gasp soundlessly. Opening her blood-filled eyes slowly, Tayuya stared weakly into Badger-face's mask.

"You fucking demon-bitch..." the ANBU said between painfully gritted teeth, each word filled with vengeful fury. "I'm gonna make you regret that move, you bloody Sound whore. I'm gonna make your pitiful existence a living hell." the man continued speaking in his low, menacing voice. Tayuya was in no position to struggle. The stinking gloop she had been fed in the prison for the last weeks gave her no energy, and the powerful punches to her face had sapped the last of it. Weakly, she lifted her hands, but her weak punches had no effect against the man's armoured chest. Letting her arms drop, she settled with staring hatefully at the man, a slight sneer on her lips.

"I'm sorry..." she whispered sarcastically with a demonic smile, showing off her fangs, before she coughed up some blood. Her own blood. "Did I hurt you?"

A clenching of the grip around her slim throat was the only answer, and Tayuya's smile waned slightly as her supply of oxygen was restrained. The man squeezed her neck tighter, and pulled her closer to his mask, until she could hear his breathing, forced slow and calm by force of will.

"You're gonna wish you never said those words before I'm done with you..." the man snarled, as he grabbed her and pinned her unceremoniously against the cold stone wall. Tayuya startled as her face was pressed against the cold concrete, and goosebumps popped up on her lower arms as her naked skin came in contact with the wall. The ANBU wasted no time, gripping her right thigh and lifting it up, spreading her legs. Tayuya winced, readying herself for another rough and painful treatment of her already sore pussy, but nothing touched her sacred opening. Instead, the man grabbed her left asscheek with his hand, and an expression of pure horror appeared on the young girl's face as the realisation struck her like a kick to the face.

"NO! No no no no no! Please, not there!!" she screamed out, panic clear in her voice, but the ANBU ignored her horrified pleads, positioning his abused cock on the opening of her rear entrance. Tayuya could feel his breath on her neck, and then his whispered words sent shivvers of terror down her naked spine: "Scream, you bitch."

"Please, not there!! I'll do anything, please stop! Please! PleaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Tayuya's desperate pleads of mercy turned into a terrible screech as her ass erupted in shards of agony, white-hot stars of pain flickering before her eyes. She had felt her abuser's thick length tear her rectum apart, lances of pain ravaging her body as every vein on his organ slid past her torn muscles. Tayuya's eyes were wide open in shock and pain, tears running in floods from her brown eyes as she tried to handle the mind-wrecking agony that surged through her nerves. Her shriek slowly died out, replaced by heavy breaths as both the ANBU and the girl tried to handle the immense feelings that filled their bodies. But where Tayuya felt pain, the man only felt immense satisfaction and the pleasant, drugging feeling of revenge fullfilled.

"Please...No...No more..." Tayuya gasped between painful breaths and tears, trying to form a coherent sentence despite the flaring fire in her behind. But in spite of her pleads, she felt two strong hands grab her hips, and a sickenly sweet whisper in her ear, warm breath caressing her earlobe.

"Oh, but I'm only getting started. Get ready for the real thing, whore." the man said, and Tayuya could feel his right hand making one-handed seals next to her thigh. One-handed seals were much harder to perform than when using both hands, but many shinobi practiced it, in case they lost an arm. Tayuya had practiced it a little herself, but not at the same speed as the ANBU did now. After a few seals he stopped, and Tayuya could feel the glee in his voice as her whispered in her ear, drawling the words with his ragged breath.

"Shinmon no Jutsu: Pisuton Kudouki (Interrogation Technique: Piston Drive)." As the last syllable passed the man's lips, Tayuya's world exploded. The cock that had been forced into her virgin asshole was ripped out, only to be thrust back inside with a force that slammed Tayuya's stomach and chest into the wall. The thrusts and jabs into her anus came faster and harder than humanly possible. Tayuya wanted to scream, to cry her lungs out. But her voice failed her. Her breath wouldn't even reach her vocal cords before another deep thrust ripped her asshole open. The pain was unreal, unlike anything the experienced kunoichi had ever felt before. Her mouth was wide open, a silent, wordless scream on her lips. The man continued driving his thick member inside the young girl's ass with blinding speed. Tayuya's whole body spasmed with every thrust, and her eyes blurred as her head was jerked back and forth with every forceful thrust that rammed into her intestines. Her mind was numb with agony. Her whole body was an avalanche of pain. Tears fell from her trembling chin, falling silently to the floor where they shattered like glass.

After what felt like hours and days, but was really only seven minutes, the torture ended. Tayuya felt the man's thrusts slowing down and finally stopping, but it was a hollow relief. Her rear was numb with pain, and she could just barely feel something warm running from her anus and down her thighs. Finally, she could feel the man's shrinking organ slip from her rear with a wet pop. His hands left her trembling thighs, and Tayuya focused all her remaining willpower on not falling together in a boneless heap. I will not show them weakness, even after this!

"Fuck, the bitch bled all over me.." Badger-face cursed as he pulled up his pants. He was a little surprised to see that the whore was still standing. Her rectum gaped at the three ANBU, a light red mix of blood and semen pouring out and down her slim thighs. Badger-face smiled behind his mask and turned to the door, the other two doing the same. Tayuya was left standing by the wall, under the small window, her tired legs shaking with the effort of keeping her body upright. Please go!, she thought wearily. I will not break before the likes of you!

As the clang of the closing door filled the small cell, the young Sound girl's legs collapsed, and she fell to her knees in a tired heap in the corner. A relieved sob rose in her throat, and her breath came in short gasps. They had not broken her. She had showed them the strength of Otogakure. A gentle smile appeared on her lips, as she looked at the black piece of clothing that lay in a puddle of water. With a shaking hand, she took her cap and pressed it close to her chest, her numb and agonising body relaxing from the torture. It would all be okay. They hadn't broken her. Looking down at the cap, heavy tears ran down her cheeks. She still had her most important treasure.

With her back to the door, Tayuya couldn't see the eyes that studied her through the small window in the heavy steel door. The lips behind the badger-shaped mask turned into a wry smile, as the man silently closed the small window hatch. Ignoring his bloodied pants, the man began walking slowly towards the exit of the prison. Ibiki-san would be much pleased.

**To be continued...**

Well, that's it for the first chapter. Please leave any comments about the story or about my writing in general. Oh, and please point out typos so that I can improve. And I might include some other Naruto characters in the not-too-distant future ;-)

-Haraio


	2. Chapter Two: A Troublesome Acquaintance

Hi again

I guess the vast majority of those reading the story will already know which character I'm introducing this time. It could either be from the oh-so-clever title of this chapter, or because you've been reading the review page. Yup, me and my big mouth can't keep quiet. Seriously, I need to stop talking about my story in other reviews. Oh well.

With that out of the way, let's get to the pleasantries:

- This story includes course language, sex, and other nasty stuff. If you're looking for a cute and cozy Naruto fanfic, then you should just press the 'Back'-button on your keyboard immediately. If not, be welcome to read on :-)

Disclaimer: No, I do not own Naruto. If I did, you'd be watching this fanfic on tv instead ;-)

**Chapter 2: A Troublesome Acquaintance**

The prison hallway was eerily quiet, the silence only gently broken by three pairs of feet walking slowly along the corridor between the heavy iron doors. Two of the three figures walked easily, their steps monotonous and effortless. The last figure, however, who walked between the other two, wasn't having such an easy time. It was more limping than actual walking, and small grunts of pain could be heard with every few steps. The sorry remains of a shirt hung off her shoulders and her hands gripped spasmically to a pair of torn pants, trying to keep them from falling off. Bright red hair flowed in an unruly mess behind the female as she hobbled over the smooth concrete floor between the two men. Her face wasn't much better. Wet patches all over her face indicated where she had been hit by a warm, sticky liquid, and a thin stream of crimson blood poured from one edge of her mouth. Occasionally, the young girl turned her brown eyes to glare venomously at the masked guards on either side of her. The two ANBU, however, gave no sign of noticing the daggers that shot from her scowling eyes. And for most of the time, the fiery redhead had more than enough with looking at her own two feet. Her shaking legs felt like they weren't obeying her fully. Carefully, the girl focused on putting one foot slowly in front of the other. As she placed her foot down, a sharp spear of red pain shot from her abdomen to her mind. Her step faltered slightly for a brief moment, and before she could stop herself a low, soft moan of agony escaped her pink lips. The two men by her sides turned their heads slightly to the side, as if studying her with one eye each. The young girl's lip twitched slightly in irritation, and she thought she could almost hear their smug laughter in her mind.

"Shut up, you fucking cocksuckers!" Satou Tayuya snapped loudly as she stopped dead, lifting and waving her trembling fist towards the two ANBU. Ignoring the flash of fresh pain that surged through her ravaged body at the quick motion, she glared heatedly at the two men. They had stopped too, when they noticed that she had ceased walking, and now they stood idly a few meters from her. Their faces were hid behind expressionless animal masks, and Tayuya's blood boiled like magma when she imagined their smiles behind the porcelain masks. With her cheeks bright red with fury, Tayuya grabbed her pants and continued walking, the two men falling effortlessly in by her sides. "Shut the fuck up..." she growled again, her voice a mere whisper.

This was all their fault, she thought angrily as she limped along with the two men. It's all their fault that my body feels like a fucking train wreck all over! Tayuya repeated in her mind, fueling the raging fire of anger in her chest. She felt relief in her anger and her hate. She still had some fight left in her, of that she was sure. They will not break me yet! It had been about two weeks since the day the three ANBU had raped Tayuya in her own cell. Tayuya remembered it well. How could she not? The mindwrecking pain she had experienced when her poor rectum was torn violently inside out, was burned and etched into her brain, tattooed on her memory. She remembered every agonising second of that horrible session. But of course, the bastards weren't content with only torturing her once. Every single day of the last two weeks, Tayuya had been raped and abused in the most humiliating and demeaning ways possible. Different ANBU every day, in teams of three. A new team every single day, who also wanted their share in the foulmouthed teenage girl. Tayuya didn't know how many of the ANBU who had shot their warm, sticky loads inside her vagina, or inside her torn rear hole. It was a wonder if she didn't get pregnant, Tayuya thought sullenly. She didn't know how many who had cummed in her mouth and forcing her to swallow the stinkin' goo, either, but it was probably at least two dozen. Fuck, her food was even starting to taste like cock! That wasn't really surprising in itself, since the foul-smelling gloop they called food in the prison looked like semen already. And the bloody taste was incredibly enough even worse than the smell. Tayuya almost preffered the semen she was forced to eat. Almost, if not for the burning embarrassment she was forced to endure. The gleeful, rough voices ordering her to drink it all up like a good fucking whore. Their mocking laughs when she swallowed a mouthful of warm, sticky semen, a disgusted grimace on her features. And especially when they smacked her on her cheeks with their fucking dicks! Tayuya had already bitten three more ANBU who all had foolishly dared putting their members near her fangs. It was a scant revenge for all the pain and humiliation wrought on her, but a bloody sweet revenge nonetheless.

But today. Today they had gone too far. One fucking step too far.

As one of the few female prisoners in the large prison, she was given special treatment. If only just to protect her from the large number of male prisoners who, while nowhere near her skill and power in shinobi arts, were all grown adults. Which meant Tayuya would be as good as dead if the rest of the prisoners managed to get a hold of her, as one of very few females in the institution. Tayuya might be a shinobi, but even she would be torn apart if a few hundred big-built, horny prisoners wanted to try her young frame. So, from the beginning, Tayuya had always had a bodyguard of ANBU whenever she went into the exercise yard. And everytime she went into the big, open space, Tayuya felt very, very ill. A familiar sensation from her youth returned everytime she stood between the two masked Shinobi and had to endure the hungry eyes from hundreds of men. Men pumping iron weights and fighting amongst eachother to pass time. Men with over-muscled arms thick as logs and broad chests of iron and steel. Men with horrible scars and elaborate tattoos over their bodies, mixing and intertwining into layers of black and red. They were like animals to Tayuya. Savage beasts who saw her as nothing but tender flesh and soft, warm orifices. A gnawing, consuming sense of worthlessness struck her every time she was there. Everytime she stood there, with hungry predators all around her, it reminded her of what her father had forced her to do. Until today, the ANBU had always gotten her to safety when the rest of the prisoners once in a while decided to make an attempt to snatch her. But not today. Today, just after Tayuya had been escorted into the exercise yard, the ANBU suddenly disappeared. As on a cue, they had both teleported away, leaving a bewildered and shocked Tayuya behind. For a long, horrible minute Tayuya had stood there, alone between hundreds of grown men. She hadn't been able to do anything except standing there and watch in terror as they one by one noticed that she was all alone. It had been like a ripple through the mass of bodies as they all turned to face the fourteen year old Sound girl. She had felt every pair of hungry eyes raping her body with their vision. Then, like an unstoppable tsunami crashing over her petite frame, they had taken the rape to a physical level too.

It had been half an hour before the ANBU had finally seen the need to save her. Half a fucking hour under a pile of sweating, groaning pigs. Half an hour of being pulled in ten directions at once, every man wanting to try the young girl. Thick, throbbing organs had been pushed non-stop into her already red and sore openings, making the girl scream in agony and rage even as more dicks were crammed down her throat. After what felt like a fucking eternity, the two masked shinobi had finally decided to intervene, and had activated the paralyzing seals on all the male prisoners, making them all fall limp. Then they had dragged Tayuya out of the sweating, heavily breathing pile. Tayuya had no such paralysis seal, since she was little threat in her relatively weak physical shape. Instead, a small square seal had been etched into her skin between her shoulder blades, sealing off all her chakra. This, of course, meant that Tayuya couldn't even escape from her rapists, let alone defend herself. This seal was the only reason that Tayuya hadn't already put the ANBU under her most powerful genjutsu and subsequently summoned some nasty demons to rape their sorry behinds.

"We're here." said one of the ANBU suddenly, pulling the young Sound girl from her dark thoughts of sweet revenge. She suddenly noticed that her two 'guardians' had stopped, and she recognised her door, with the number 333 written in white paint on the dark steel door. Tayuya's lips jerked a few millimeters upwards at the irony of the number. I'm halfway to hell already, she thought darkly, as she waited for the prison guard to open her door. As soon as the heavy door swung open, the ANBU who had spoken gave her a rough push between her shoulder blades, the same place as her fucking chakra seal was placed. Her legs still not completely healed from the battle with the pineapple-head, Tayuya stumbled forward with a surprised yelp. Only the quick save of her hands prevented her from going face-first into the rough concrete floor. White-hot needles of pain jolted through her abused body as she hit the floor, but she ignored it as rage filled her veins with boiling hate. Rolling quickly over on her back, her brown eyes glared daggers and death up at her abusers. Words of hate rose in her throat, but she didn't have the chance to give them vocal sound before the iron door slammed shut in front of her with a loud clang.

"FUCKING SHITHOLE!! Get the fuck back here and I'll chew your fucking balls off!" Tayuya screamed from the bottom of her lungs, her hate and fury filling her voice with volume. For several minutes she lay on the cold stone floor, spitting profanities from her lips. Finally, she had no more breath. Tayuya lay with her back against the icy iron bedframe, panting heavily with her mouth open. A hatred-filled scowl was on her facial features as she glared fiercely at the door, as if waiting for the door to blow off its hinges. At length however, she realised that the door would remain securely in place no matter how long she glared at it. Closing her eyes with a long-drawn sigh, Tayuya reached her hands back and lifted herself up on her bed. As her sore behind was carefully lowered down to touch the hard mattress, Tayuya winced, trying to suppress the low, pained moan that escaped her lips. Slowly, painfully slowly, Tayuya lay tiredly down on the bed, grimacing at the pain that ran through her lower regions. Her body was aching after the rough treatment she had received in the exercise yard. Tayuya carefully pulled off her ripped prison uniform, letting the blue fabric drop to the floor. This was the seventh uniform that had been ruined since her Sound uniform had been disintegrated two weeks earlier, and Tayuya doubted it would be the last. Next, she lifted her ass up, ignoring the flashes of fresh pain, and pulled her pants off her slim legs. Letting the blue pants follow the shirt, she spread her legs slowly. With a grimace of discomfort at the akward position, Tayuya began exporing herself. Her fingers ran deftly over her lower regions, trying to assess the damage from today's rough treatment. Tayuya winced in pain whenever one of her fingers touched a sore spot, small needles of pain stabbing in her brain every time she did so. Fuck, they had really done a number on her. Two weeks of near-constant rape had really taken its toll on Tayuya's teenaged body, both her vagina and her rectum sore and red from all the usage. With a concentrated expression, Tayuya slid her finger further up, and this time she couldn't help but yelp loudly as sharp red agony flashed through her body. It almost felt like someone had put a thousand volts into her spine. Grimacing as the sharp pain slowly subsided, Tayuya looked down her own naked body. Her finger hung in the air, only a faint millimeter from her clit. The small nub of sensitive flesh was burning red, almost purple, like a signal light of how much she had been abused. Tayuya scowled at her own clit, as if the small nub itself was to blame for her own misfortune.

There were two sharp knocks on the heavy iron door, and Tayuya turned her head towards the sound, wondering if the guard had heard her cry of pain. A soft click was heard, before the small hatch on the door opened, revealing a prison guard's eyes.

"Food's here, Sound slu..." grunted the guard boredly, before his blue eyes noticed the young girl laying stark naked on the bed, a hand slipped dubiously between her naked thighs. Immediately, a dark red colour filled his cheeks, and the guard couldn't help but staring at the naked young girl.

"Stop looking at me, you bloody shithead!!" Tayuya snapped sourly, using her hands to cover herself as best as she could, which was really a useless effort. The flushing guard looked almost bewildered, before his eyes disappeared from the slit. The door opened slightly, and a metal tray was placed hurriedly on the floor before the door slammed shut again, leaving the young girl to the silence. Tayuya breathed heavily through clenched teeth, her cheeks a dark pink colour. Damn it, why the hell was she blushing?! Hundreds of men had already seen her naked body just today. Maybe it was because the guard was the first one to not rape her after seeing her naked. Tayuya growled in displeasure, as she struggled to quench her burning cheeks. Fuck, why was she so embarrassed?!

Deciding to take her mind off the matter, Tayuya looked towards the flat steel tray that had been placed inside her cell. Tayuya grimaced slightly as she saw what was on the tray, the thing they called food here in the prison. Her tray was covered in a big pile of thick, grey gloop, with a piece of dry bread stabbed halfway into the semi-solid food. Tayuya felt like throwing up, knowing that the stinking gloop tasted even worse than it smelled. I will not eat it! she thought stubbornly, turning her eyes away, fixing her eyes on a particular spot on the wall. Sadly, her body didn't agree, and before long a loud, rumbling growl filled the cell. Tayuya lowered her head and glared coldly down at her own stomach, hating herself for being so weak. So you're betraying me too huh? she thought with a defeated sigh, as she slowly and painfully got up to sate her stomach's demands. As she ate, Tayuya couldn't help but wince every time she put a new spoonful into her mouth. The gloop was warm and sticky, and someone had been overly generous with the salt when making the fucking goo, making it incredibly difficult to force it down her throat. Tayuya almost wanted another serving of cum rather than this crap. As she put another mouthful into her mouth, she swore to herself that if she ever found out who made this sorry excuse for food, she would kill them. She would stitch their mouths shut and shove a fucking hose up their asses. Then she would fill them with the stinking gloop until their asses exploded! Tayuya smiled slightly at the amusing mental image, even as she grimaced as another spoonful of salty, sticky gloop assaulted her tasting organ. The first thing she would do would be to buy some real food, when she got out of here...

The realisation suddenly hit her like a thunderbolt, striking her heart with an iron grip. The smile wiped off her lips, and the spoon fell to the concrete floor with a hollow clang. She wouldn't get out of here. The truth made her gasp silently in horror, as tears began pressing on her eyelids. She gritted her teeth hard and closed her eyes, squeezed them tightly shut in a futile attempt to hold back the tears. A choking sob rose from her throat, as she buried her face in her palms. She would never get out of this prison. The thought was numbing, like a tight metal wire tied around her throat, digging into her flesh. The walls of her cell suddenly seemed so much smaller, like they were moving closer to crush the life from her body. This was gonna be her life, for the rest of her living years. Her shaking palms became wet as she failed to hold back her flowing tears any longer. She would be trapped in this cell until she died. No one would save her. Tayuya could feel the last will of resistance, which had stood like a strong wall, shatter like glass. She was finally broken, the last bit of fighting spirit drowned and buried six feet under. Her life would only consist of this, she realised with a strangled cry erupting from her throat, like a dying animal. She would live a life of constant abuse, with rape and torture every single day, every single moment. A life with only stinking gloop to fill, only her own fluids to sate her thirst. She was broken, she realised. Broken. They had defeated her.

Maybe, she thought. Maybe if she treated them nicely, and gave herself up willingly, they would stop hurting her so badly? She hated herself for thinking such weak thoughts, but she couldn't help it. Tears of anger and selfpity ran in streams down her damp cheeks. She wanted to push the thought away, but she realised that she couldn't. Her body and mind had already given up on fighting against them, fighting against the torture. I'll show them how good I can be, Tayuya thought with tears rolling down her cheeks.

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The sun was still shining brightly outside, bathing the quiet village in a flood of warm evening light. The waning light seemed to deepen the crevasses in the stone faces that covered the cliff in the center of the village, the expressions coming alive with orange light. A young shinobi walked slowly through the mostly empty, savouring the warming globe of orange that still hung high on the blue sky, descending slowly towards the horizon. He was wearing a standard shinobi vest and black pants, his hands resting lazily in its pockets. His eyes were halfway closed in a relaxed face, and his black hair stood straight up in a ponytail. Today had been a very nice day. Perfect for a walk, or to just lay still in the sun and watch the skies. The young chuunin sighed softly in annoyance, closing his eyes with an irritated facial expression. Unfortunately, the bitch of a Hokage had given him a mission over at the Konoha prison. The young boy longed for a lazy day, but it was not to be, he realised. The rank he had received only seemed to add more problems to his stock. With another heavy sigh coming from his lips, he walked on, towards the prison.

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Tayuya was sitting with her face hidden in her hands, feeling her own warm breath bouncing back from her damp palms. Her tears had stopped running a while ago, and now she was just sitting quietly on her bed, trying to calm her mind. Her brain was a maelstrom of thoughts and emotions. She wanted to give in to her fate, to accept that this would be her life, but she couldn't fully let go. She was clinging to hope by a thin thread, to the wild idea that she might get out one day. That thin slither of hope was enough for her, she realised with a weak smile. As long as she still had that frail hope, she would endure this. She would be good towards her captors and maybe, just maybe, they might become sloppy in their routines. A sly smile forced its way onto her lips. She still had that thin hope.

Three sharp knocks on the metal door brought her attention back to the real world, her brown eyes turning quickly to look at the door. Someone was coming. Probably the evening shift of interrogators. With a slight smile of nervousness, Tayuya steeled herself. Now she would show them how good she was. With that thought at the forefront of her mind, Tayuya slipped akwardly down on the floor, pulling her beloved cap down to keep her long, crimson hair in check. Her bare skin felt warm against the cold stone floor, and she breathed softly as she sat down on her knees. She sat with her thighs slightly spread, her naked ass resting lightly on her heels. Her hands were folded between her legs, covering herself as a light pink tainted her cheeks. She closed her eyes lightly, waiting for her visitors to enter. There was a soft click as the prison guard unlocked the last security mechanisms of the heavy iron door, then with a long, scraping sound the door slid open. Tayuya could almost feel the eyes of her interrogators moving over her skin, making it tingle with imagined touches. Opening her mouth with a soft breath, she let her tounge hang out as she tilted her head slightly backwards. She imagined that she must've look pretty much alike to an obedient dog, and her cheeks turned a little darker at the thought.

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The black haired chuunin stood leaning against the stone wall outside the cell, waiting patiently as the armoured prison guard worked the levers and switched of the security lock. The prison guards, unlike the ANBU, were not shinobi, and as such they had to rely on more normal means of defense. To be able to counter the dangerous prisoners in the cells, the guards wore full plate armour of steel, with swords slung in their belts and either halberds or crossbows in hand. The guard that worked the cell mechanisms was both broader and taller than the chuunin, his size amplified further by the thick armour he wore. A heavy crossbow hung in a strap over his shoulder, a fresh bolt loaded into the slit. Naturally, the guards were constantly on high alert. The prison housed many high-ranked and famous criminals, several of them shinobi. And there was no better time to escape than when the doors were opened. The chuunin leaned his head back against, musing on how he had ended up here. He didn't even know why he was here. All he had been told, was that he was to report to the Konoha prison. Once there, he had been told that he was supposed to check on a prisoner. That was all they had told him, but the boy knew they were hiding something. He had noticed that they were throwing him amused glances when they gave him the cell number, 333, and handed him a roll of thin blue clothes. The boy shrugged dismissively, repositioning his armoured vest to a more comfortable position over his shoulders. It didn't matter, cause it was still a bother.

"Shinobi-san?" The words pulled him forcefully out of his train of thoughts, and he focussed his eyes on the man who had spoken to him. The guard had turned, and the chuunin could see a quizzical look in the man's eyes. The chuunin shook his head slowly, clearing his mind. "Sorry, what did you say?"

"I said the door is open now, sir." the man said slowly and evenly, hesitating just a moment with the last word. His eyes were on the black-haired shinobi while he plucked the crossbow from his shoulder, holding it ready in his hands. The chuunin sighed, and with a barely heard 'troublesome', he stepped forward into the cell as the guard opened the door. As the man closed the heavy iron door behind him, the shinobi stopped in his tracks. This was not the sight he had expected, not in a lifetime. On the cold concrete floor in front of him, sat a young girl, kneeling with her closed eyes directed at him. Swallowing silently, the boy looked over the lithe figure in front of him. She was young and well-shaped around her hips, light skin with occasional red marks and bruises, he noted. Looking further up, he could see two small, perky breasts pointing at him, the pink nipples standing erect in the cold prison air. His face crimson, he let his eyes move upwards. The black-haired boy froze, suddenly realising who the prisoner was, and instantly he also understood why he had been called here. He groaned loudly in his mind at the thought, as he watched the red-haired girl sitting in front of him. There was no mistaking. There was no way he could forget the half-length red hair framing her face, or the black cap on her head. This was that foul-mouth Sound kunoichi, Tayuya. He couldn't help but just standing there, watching her sitting quietly on the cold floor. He suspected that if she noticed that it was him, she would make a lot of noise.

Tayuya was seriously wondering what was taking so long. Here she was giving herself up voluntarily, and the bastard who had just entered didn't even have the decency to take advantage of her? Tayuya felt angry and, strangely enough, disappointed at the thought. Her eyebrows lowered slightly in annoyance. She was getting tired of sitting like this on the floor, with her mouth open and her tounge sticking out. Why hadn't the cocksucker begun taking advantage of her offer yet? Her hands clenched impatiently as she waited for him to make his move.

"What are you trying to do?" she heard a voice suddenly say, the voice sounding somewhat familiar. It sounded irritated and bored, and Tayuya was for a moment taken aback by the unexpected question. What she was doing? She was offering herself to him, that's what she was doing! "Get up already, you troublesome woman." the voice said again, sounding more irritated and exasperated. Troublesome...?

Oh hell no. No. Fucking. Way. Tayuya suddenly knew why the voice sounded so familiar, and she almost dreaded opening her eyes, not wanting to see the person. Despite her reservations, however, she opened one eye slightly, peeking up at the face of the person standing in front of her. Both her eyes opened wide in disbelief, even if she knew she had recognised the voice before. Her tounge withdrew back into her mouth with a sharp, wet sound. Her mouth was still open, but this time it was more a gawk than any sexual offer. She would recognise that stupid face anywhere, not to speak of that bloody pineapple-shaped haircut he dared wearing in public! Her defeated and submissive eyes turned into glaring red orbs of pure anger, and she was certain that the boy would have taken a step back if it hadn't been for the thick iron door behind his back. The boy grimaced slightly, already expecting a loud display of very colourful language. Before Nara Shikamaru even had the chance to move, Tayuya moved from kneeling to standing position in one fluid motion, seizing him forcefully by the collar of his vest, the pains in Tayuya's body gone like thin mist in the sun.

"YOU?!?! What the bloody fuck are you doing here?! Fucking pineapple!!" she screamed straight in his face, her brown eyes wild with fury and hatred. Her mind was a churning cauldron of boiling blood, threatening to overflow. These five weeks she had spent in this rotting hell-hole, all the abuse she had taken. All the urine she had been forced to drink, all the cum and stinking gloop she had to swallow down. All the humiliation, pain and tears. All of it was his fault. Him, and that blonde whore of a girlfriend that had levelled the forest on top of Tayuya. Tayuya stared hatedly at the Konoha brat, her brown eyes drilling into his head. If looks could indeed have killed, Shikamaru would surely have been nothing more than a steaming puddle of goo on the floor by now. To the redhead's quickly growing chagrin, the black-haired boy even had the guts to turn his head to the side! He looked pointedly to the side, avoiding looking at her while lifting his hand hesitantly to wipe some of Tayuya's saliva off of his cheek. Tayuya yanked angrily at his collar, pulling him closer until her face was only a few inches from his.

"You've better look at me when I'm talking to you, you fucking piece of shit.." Tayuya snarled through clenched teeth, her hot breath on his cheek. This fucker was really getting on her nerves. He seemed able to make her blood boil even without trying, and the fact only made Tayuya all the angrier. In response to her demand, Shikamaru's cheeks turned to a dark pink, and he turned his head slightly to look at her, focussing resolutely on her brown eyes. "If you want me to look at you, troublesome girl," he said dryly "Then you should show some common decency and put these on.." he added, meeting her eyes evenly. To underline his words, he quickly shifted the roll of clothes from under his arm to his hand and gently prodded the girl in the ribs with the bundle of fabric.

Tayuya blinked in confusion at his words, trying to make something sensible out of it. What was he saying? Just as she was about to tell him to stop talking in fucking riddles, she felt a gentle poke in her midsection. Looking down, she realised what had been touching her skin. And at the same time, her own distinct lack of clothes became appearant to her. Her cheeks instantly turning to a deep crimson, and she positively ripped the clothes from Shikamaru's hands, shooting him a warning glare in the process. "Don't you dare look.." she growled lowly, her voice almost a breathed whisper as she slowly began putting on her new prison uniform, the pain slowly returning to her battered body.

"Could you make up your mind, troublesome girl?" Shikamaru said boredly, his eyes seemingly having found something incredibly interesting with the draining system in the corner of the cell, away from the dressing girl. He was leaning his shoulder lazily against the stone wall, his back towards Tayuya. Tayuya lifted her head and glared at his back. "Cause one minute you want me to look at you, and the next you don't.."

"I have a fucking name, you shithead." Tayuya snapped sourly. The brat was seriously making her fume without even trying! "And stop oogling me, you fucking pervert!" she added a little louder, noticing his occasional backward glances towards her.

"I wasn't looking." he said with a sigh. "Besides, why would I want to look at a flat gi..." That did it. Tayuya spun around, still only half dressed, her red hair wild with the rapid motion. "What the fuck did you just call me, pervert?!" she screamed, clenching her fists in anger. Tayuya had never really cared about the opposite sex that much, but his comment really hit the tiny, hidden feminine part of her self-image. "Why the fuck are you even here, you cocksucking shithead?!" Had he come here just to torment her, to take pleasure in her miserable situation? Did he enjoy seeing her like this, broken and weak? He must've been finding this horribly amusing, Tayuya thought, her anger growing steadily. She could hear her own heart beating faster, drowning her thoughts in the relentless beating. Oh, she would love to just choke him right now. Her hands gripped spasmically in thin air, as if practising before strangling the annoying idiot.

Slowly, Shikamaru turned his head, looking at her with one half-closed, lazy eye. "I came here to check on you." he said matter-of-factly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. The anger drained from Tayuya's expression, and now she was looking at him with a surprised expression. What the hell was he talking about? she thought. Check on her? Why would he come here to check on her? She didn't understand, and her gawking facial expression must have conveyed that message, cause Shikamaru continued in the same bored tone. "The Hokage ordered me to do a check-up on your physical and mental health. Seriously, what a drag..." he trailed of with an irritated sigh. Tayuya just stared at him, for once at a loss of words.

"So, let's just get this over with." Shikamaru said boredly, turning towards her. Somewhat to his surprise, the red-head simply shook her head, giving him an irritated scowl. "You think I bother going through some medical crap now, shithead?" her angry expression twisting into a grin. "Come back some time earlier, not after fucking ten in the night." Shikamaru groaned inside his mind. This was just getting more and more troublesome. Now he had to come back the next day too. He really didn't want to spend more time than necessary with the loudmouthed, troublesome redhead. "It's only nine." he countered, after looking down at his watch.

"...Fuck you."

Sighing tiredly, Shikamaru looked annoyedly at the girl. "Fine." he said, after a few seconds. "I'll come back tomorrow then.." Without waiting for an answer, Shikamaru turned around, facing the heavy iron door, and lifted his hand to signal the guard to let him out. But just before his knuckles contacted with the cold iron, her voice interrupted him.

"Pineapple-head." The tone of her voice was not insulting, but merely requesting, like she wanted to tell him something, or ask him a question. There was no mocking edge in her tone anymore. It was almost like it had come from a completely different person. Shikamaru breathed out heavily to himself, his clenched hand frozen a mere inch from the door. He would have wanted to just leave, as quickly as possible, to get away from the loud redhead. Slowly lowering his hand again, he turned his head to look at the Sound prisoner. "Yeah?"

As an answer, Tayuya turned her back to Shikamaru, and lowered her unbuttoned shirt below her shoulders, her hand pushing a handful of red hair to the side, showing off a squarely shaped black seal between her shoulder blades, the edges of the seal covered with symbols. For some reason, Shikamaru couldn't help but looking at her slender shoulders at first, rather than the black symbol etched into her skin. The red-head turned her head to the side, looking at him curiously over her shoulder, gauging his reaction. "Could you... my wounds..." she said, her voice faltering slightly. It was not like her to actually beg for something, but now, for once, she was. She wanted him to remove the seal, even if she was a prisoner. Her wounds would heal faster if her chakra system was allowed to do its job. She hoped he would help her, even if he was a fucking annoying shithead. For a brief moment, their eyes met. Tayuya hurriedly lowered her brown eyes, her cheeks a dark crimson colour. Shikamaru closed his eyes sighed, before looking at the girl with an annoyed look. "Troublesome..."

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Shikamaru walked out of the prison, his eyes quickly adjusting to the dark summer night. Everything was so silent around him. The whole of Konohagakure was sleeping peacefully. He looked up at the moon. The white orb of light was almost completely full, hanging high on a star-covered night sky. It gave him no answers to the question that was in forefront of his mind. Had he done the right thing?

**To be continued...**

Yeah, yeah. I know, I'm really suckish at writing cliffhangers so that they are both...hanging, and well written. Hopefully, I'll improve over time. Anyway, that's another chapter up. Please comment and criticise to your heart's content, and I'll try to get going on the next chapter. More intrigues await! -dramatic music-

- Haraio


	3. Chapter Three: The Faintest Hope

Well well, what gives? I'm back with a new chapter :-)

This one has taken a lot of time and brainjuice, mostly because it is a crucial chapter in the story and I wanted to get it -just- right. There is gonna be some decent twists and turns in the next chapter, which will be kinda short if I guess correctly. I had originally planned to write this chapter and the next as one chapter, but I decided against it for a few reasons:

Firstly, the chapter would have been ungodly long. And secondly, I thought this was a good place to end the chapter. Besides, I love keeping things suspended in the air ;-p

Anyway, without me talking too much about trivial stuff, let's just get to the story. Oh, and I would like to mention, just before we start, that I need to give credit to the other person who has contributed to this story. Natasja, my girlfriend (who has written a review here at one point), who also works as my beta reader and source of inspiration. Thank you baby, I wouldn't have been able to do this without you :-)

And also thank you to all those who read the story. Your positive remarks give me the confidence to write this story to the very end:-D

Now, without further blabbering...

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, though I wish I did ;-p

**Chapter 3: The Faintest Hope**

Perpetual darkness filled the small room like a heavy cloak, clogging the very air. It was hard to breathe for those not used to it, as if an etheral hand grasped on their throats, squeezing the air from their lungs. Alone in the abyssal darkness sat a man, hunched over in front of a wooden desk. Even though it was pitch black, his stern eyes scanned the sheets of paper he held in his hands. These were the ANBU reports for the last week. Despite the complete lack of light, the man caught every word that was written in the reports. He didn't like the result. His eyebrows furrowed, and a scowl spread over the man's features. Absentmindedly, his right hand moved to his uncovered skull, to touch the twisting labyrinth of cutting scars and drilling holes. Those were his marks of pain, his pride. They proved he had endured and survived horrible torture. The man sitting in the darkness of his room was one of a kind. That's at least what he thought. His teeth gritted in his jaw, and a loud crack was heard as the man punched his fist into the dark wood of the desk, striking it in frustration. How the hell did that damn girl resist?!

He had been so certain that they had broken her. She had been really feisty when they had first brought her in and started interrogating her, but according to the reports he received daily from the ANBU, it seemed like she was steadily weakening. The ANBU had always managed to break even the most sturdy and dangerous prisoners, given enough time. No one believed a little girl would be any hazzle. She was as good as broken, according to the reports he had received a few days ago. The ANBU officers had been certain that she would spill all the knowledge about the Sound Village in short time. But then, the girl had sealed up again, more feisty and vicious than ever. It was like something had returned her will to fight. Several ANBU had already been sent to the medic with deep biting wounds or bruises. One had even been carried to the hospital weeping, one of his testicles crushed to a pulp by the ferocious girl. Even the other prisoners, big muscled men and dangerous individuals all, had begun avoiding the girl in the exercise area, resorting to the few other female prisoners to satisfy their feral lusts. A nickname had even surfaced among the prisoners, whispered on everyone's lips when the girl was near. The Demon of the Sound. In his growing anger, Morino Ibiki grabbed the last report, today's report in fact, and tore it angrily to shreds. How could that bitch still resist their torture?! The ANBU and his own Interrogation Squad were the most effective weapons for extracting information in all of Konohagakure, and yet they couldn't break the will of a single, bloody child? It was an insult! A bloody, fucking insult! Still fuming with anger, the horribly scarred man leaned back against the back of the wooden chair, staring irritatedly into the darkness, his breath heavy and calm. There had to be some way to break the annoying redhead brat, without destroying her completely. At least not until they had gotten the information they were looking for. A smile formed on the man's thin lips as he placed his hands on the back of his head. He always enjoyed inventing new methods of torture.

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Tayuya was running fast, her quick breath coming in shallow gasps as she forced her tired body to keep moving. Her heart pounded heavily in her chest, but she kept on going. She was stark naked, and sweat glinted on her pale skin in the faint grey light. The dark forest stretched out in all directions around her, every black tree an identical copy of the others, standing in unnaturally even ranks. The miasma of death and decay hung heavy in the damp air, clogging in her throat. She gagged on the foul air, even as she forced labored breaths down her throat, forcing her aching muscles to move on. The half ran, half stumbled past dead and broken trees, warm and sticky mud splashing around her ankles with every step. Naked branches reached for her bare shoulders as she dodged her way between the trees, tracing her pale skin with fingers of death. The very ground seemed to seize her in its cold grip, slowing down her escape. Tayuya ran as fast as her body could carry her, speeding past line after line of trees, but she felt like she was going nowhere. There were shadows following her, and she couldn't escape them. She could feel them in the edges her vision, but she dared not sacrifice any of her speed to turn and get a better look. Gritting her teeth, she ploughed on, trying to free herself from the etheral grasp that held her in place. Her legs felt heavy, numb and senseless. It felt like she was dragging concrete blocks around her ankles. She felt them coming closer, approaching her slowly. Turning her head around to face her fears, she looked at the figures approaching from the darkness of the trees. The black branches parted slightly, letting a thin ray of grey light bathe the limping shapes following her. The young girl's eyes widened in sheer, blood-chilling horror, as she looked at the disfigured faces of her past. Fat white worms writhed in the faint light, escaping into the darkness of grey, rotting flesh. Gaping maws opened towards her, as if to sink their thin, yellowed teeth into her tender, living meat. Where the eyes had once been, only bloodied, empty sockets remained, glaring at her with the scrutinicing gaze of death. Tayuya wanted to close her eyes, to shut away the horrifying, tormenting image. But she realised she couldn't. Her eyes were wide open in fear, however much she wanted to embrace the sweet darkness of not seeing. She could hear her own beating heart, like a weak thumping in the back of her head. Steadily it grew louder and louder, like hands banging on thick metal. As the heavy thumping sound reached its crescendo, the four shapes reached out for Tayuya with gnarled, bony hands, and her mouth opened in a silent scream.

Tayuya sat up sharply, her eyes wide, a terrified expression clear on her face. Her mouth was wide open, drinking heavily of the cold, fresh air. After a few seconds, her brown eyes managed to slip into focus on the ceiling above her. Blessed grey concrete. Tayuya let out a heavy sigh between her deep breaths, trying to steady her racing heart. It had only been a nightmare. She was still in her cell, laying on her back on the hard mattress, with her knees tucked up and her arms by her sides. A small half-smile cracked on her pink lips. She had never thought she would be happy to realise she was still in the small stone-walled room, and not running through a forest being chased by nightmares from her past. She sight of solid grey walls of concrete and a heavy iron door comforted her, a sense of security flowing over her. Her nightmares would never be able to get to her in here. Her beating heart finally begun to settle, reverting to a slow, relaxed beating. By the amount of light entering the cell through her window, and from her inner instinctual clock, Tayuya knew it was still early. Before noon most likely. It was still too early for the pineapple-headed fucker to come by. So she still had some time to relax. Glancing again at the comforting monotonous grey of the stone ceiling, Tayuya let her eyelids slip shut again.

No sooner had she closed her eyes, letting herself sink into gentle darkness, before she felt something touch her cheek. She felt it hit her cheek with a small splash, and she realised it was a drop of fluid. Lifting her hand, she touched her face, expecting the small drop to be cold, like rain water. She intercepted the fluid with her finger as it ran down her cheek, and to her surprise she realised it was warm, almost hot. She rubbed her fingers together. It was sticky, clearly not water. Suddenly her veins turned cold. She recognised the feeling on her skin. Hesitantly, she opened her mouth and stuck her finger inside. Yeah, she definately recognised it. It was bitter, with a metallic aftertaste. Warm and strangely sickening, making her gag at the unusually bitter taste. She shuddered at the disgusting taste. Immediately there was a sharp hiss above her, air flowing slowly through a ruptured throat. Tayuya's heart beat faster. She almost didn't dare opening her eyes. She wanted to embrace the darkness deeper, to find protection from her fears. But she still opened her eyes, and looked up at herself. Tayuya stopped breathing, the air caught in her throat. Her whole body turned cold, her senses numb with a dread unlike any other. Above her, leaning on strong arms and her own tucked-up knees, was herself. It was Tayuya, but clearly different. The skin was grey, like morning mist. Thick black veins stood out, writhing like disgusting snakes and pulsing with dark bile. Remnants of short, red hair hung down towards the Sound girl, swaying slightly as the wretched, broken creature above her breathed its labored breaths. Single drops of dark blood splattered on Tayuya's cheeks and nose, but she paid them no heed, too frigthened to sense anything. The dark rain fell from bloodied sockets, where firey brown eyes had once been. The empty, blood-filled sockets tugged on Tayuya's own eyes, transifixing her gaze on the crimson pits. The Tayuya above her stirred as their gazes contacted, and Tayuya could feel the malign, unliving intelligence behind the empty sockets. She could feel the voracity, the craving in the bloody sockets. Tears welled up in her eyes, as she tried to turn her eyes away from the warped image of herself, but she failed. The monster above her opened its mouth slowly, revealing jagged yellow fangs, thin strings of crimson saliva hanging between the long, dagger-like teeth. It took a moment for Tayuya to realise that she could see the ceiling through the open jaw. The back of the head looked like it had been torn out, a ragged hole the size of a fist in the lower skull. If she hadn't been so terrified, Tayuya might have wondered what had made that hole. As the fanged jaws opened impossibly wide, Tayuya couldn't tear her eyes away from the bottomless dark pits where her own brown eyes had resided. She couldn't fight back. All she could do was scream in panic, as the creature struck, like a lioness tearing into a gazelle. She screamed her voice out again and again, as the sharp fangs tore mercilessly at her exposed throat, ripping bloody flesh from her slender neck. She was dying, she knew it.

Tayuya's eyes snapped open, the horrified scream dying on her lips as she realised she wasn't about to die. Fuck it! Another bloody nightmare. The red-haired girl gritted her teeth, before she suddenly realised she was not alone in the small cell. Two men in full plate armour stood by her bed, aiming loaded crossbows at her, their expressions alert for threatening movements from the girl. And behind the two big soldiers, Tayuya could see a familiar fruit-shaped haircut sticking up. Growling in displeasure at being caught at such a weak moment, the girl leaned back against the cold stone wall. She was happy that she at least was clothed this time, as no one had ripped this prison uniform off her yet. There had been far too many cases of prison guards seeing her naked, for her liking. She turned her eyes from the guards to the black-haired shinobi behind them, giving him a cold glare between the armoured bodies.

"What are you doing here this early, cockface?"

It seemed that her expression of colourful vocabulary was the sign of wellbeing the black-haired shinobi had waited for. Closing his eyes and suppressing a heavy sigh, he placed his hands on the shoulders of the guards in front of him. They lowered their weapons slowly, but their eyes still rested warily on the redhead. The shinobi opened his eyes and looked into Tayuya's own brown eyes, his irritated facial expression saying that he enjoyed this as little as she did. The fact comforted her slightly; at least he was feeling as miserable as she did.

"I can handle things from here." Nara Shikamaru said, his clear voice directed at the two adults. Tayuya almost expected him to add a 'troublesome' to the sentence, but was disappointed. The two armoured guards turned their heads slighty and nodded, their eyes still on the girl. Slowly they stepped backwards past Shikamaru, their loaded weapons ready in their hands. Then one of them pushed the door open, letting the other exit before following. A few seconds later the first guard came back, handing Shikamaru a frail wooden chair before slamming the door shut. Shikamaru sighed again, before setting the chair down on the cold stone floor, directly facing Tayuya. She turned her head to the side, glaring venomously at him with one eye. Shikamaru slid lazily down on the wooden seat, his elbows leaning on his lower thighs and his hands meeting between his knees. He looked at her with an exasperated expression on his face. For minutes they sat like that. Tayuya was getting increasingly irritated, especially since the bastard didn't seem willing to make a move. It was infuriating. Jerking her head around, she gave him an icy glare.

"What the fuck is your problem?!" she snapped, making the boy cringe. Good, she thought with a small smile. At least I finally got a reaction. Shikamaru lifted his left hand lazily, idly scratching the back of his head as he watched the loudmouth girl.

"Are you always this noisy early in the morning?" he asked dryly. Tayuya almost wanted to laugh from the absurdity of his question. Almost.

"Early?" she said incredously. "If it's too bloody early for you, why'd you come and fucking bother me?" she remarked with an irritated wave of her hand. As an answer, he rolled his eyes and tapped the notepad under his arm. Fuck, her senses were really dulling. She hadn't even noticed the damn thing! She remembered suddenly what he had said the night before, and knew why he was here the moment before he said it out loud:

"I came to check on your health, both physically and mentally. It's a drag, so I want to get it over with as fast as possible." he said, his tone still dry and unenthusiastic, as if spelling it out slowly to a small child. Tayuya tensed slightly. How dare he speak to her in that kind of tone? She glared at him coldly, not saying anything. She would not dignify him with an answer. Shikamaru ignored her eyes shooting daggers at him, taking her silence as a sign for him to go on. Pushing his wooden chair a tiny bit back towards the door, he opened the notepad on the first page, before taking a black pen from his pocket. He looked at the noisy, red-haired girl with the notepad in hand.

"So, let's get this started; how are you feeling?" he said, leaning back against the chair. Tayuya looked at him, her lip twitching in anger. What kind of stupid-ass question was that?!

"Well, gee, I'm feeling absolutely great. Hadn't it been for the fucking lousy food, the hard-ass bed and the not-so-gentle raping 24/7, this would've been a per-fucking-fect place." she snapped sarcastically, her voice dripping with poison. She turned her head to face him fully, her brown eyes filled with burning hatred. "How the hell do you think I'm feeling, jerkwad?! I'm crapping in a bucket, for fuck's sake!" her voice had steadily increased in volume as she talked, until she was basically screaming out the last words. Shikamaru watched her with a calm, unflinching face. Tayuya settled down again, panting slightly, her hatefilled brown eyes still trying hard to gut him with mindpower alone.

"Mental condition: Bitchy and noisy as usual." he said slowly, making a motion with his writing hand as if checking off a point. His eyes lifted from the paper to meet the girl's own eyes, and Tayuya snarled as she noticed his eyes were still infuriatingly calm. Only a thin shred of self-restraint kept her from lunging at the boy right there and then to rip his throat out. Grumbling, she settled with kicking him in the kneecap, which was the closest part of his body she could reach from her laying position on the bed. His pained grunt soothed her slightly.

Shikamaru ignored the slight physical pain, while looking at the paper. Had he heard correctly? He had heard rumours about rape being a common case in prisons, but he hadn't even considered the possibility that grown men would prey on someone like her. Sure, she looked maybe a year older than him from what he could judge (her loose prison uniform not giving much away), but she was still young. Besides, her troublesome attitude would at least have put _him_ off. The thought that she was subjected to such things made him feel weird. Even though she was the enemy, she was still a woman, and she didn't deserve such treatment. Shikamaru was a guy that believed in the old ideals of men and women, and the thought of her being treated like that was just wrong. Shouldn't the ANBU be protecting her against the prisoners raping her? He didn't understand how things like that could happen in Konohagakure. He suddenly snapped out of his deep train of thoughts, noticing that she was looking at him with an annoyed look on her face.

"What the fuck are you looking at, shithead?" Tayuya snarled, pulling her light blue shirt closer around herself, which didn't help much. She didn't know why she suddenly felt the urge to cover herself. She felt uncomfortable when he looked at her, and the fact disturbed her alot. He was just a snotty brat, she reminded herself. She would not let him sate his pervert urges by looking at her. If he did that, she would kill him. By right, he should have been dead long ago. She would have killed him in the forest, had it not been for that blonde bitch that levelled the whole fucking forest on her. She would kill them both one day, and she would be laughing while they writhed in agony under her grip. She would drink from their brain pans before this was over. The pleasant thoughts of revenge filled her weak body with comforting warmth, and she smiled slightly. Yeah, she would get her revenge in time. She would just have to be patient, and an opportunity would definately present itself to her.

This time it was Tayuya's turn to realise that she had spaced out, and the smile wiped off her face as she noticed the pineapple bastard was still looking at her. She growled softly, bashing herself for not focussing. Fuck it, she was really starting to slip. It was not like her to lose focus like this. She huffed as she sat up, glaring at the black-haired Konoha shinobi. She realised that if she wanted him gone as soon as possible, she would have to cooperate. The thought repelled her, but at the same time she wanted him out of her cell, so that she could return to her miserable, lonely existence. Grimacing slightly as she sat up, she gave Shikamaru a blaming glare, as if the pain in her nether regions were his fault.

"Let's just get this over with, shithead." she muttered, positioning herself akwardly as she tried to find the least painful way to sit. The grimace on her face and the careful shifting of her rear didn't pass Shikamaru. He noticed that she had trouble sitting, and he immediately wondered what kind of damages she had down there. He could imagine that with someone as young as her being abused by grown men, the damage could be pretty bad. But he had no doubts that she would inflict much physical pain on him if he tried examining her private parts. So he let the matter lie, and turned his attention to her legs.

At the moment, she was sitting stiffly on the bed, with her legs hanging over the edge of the metal frame. Her arms were supporting her weight akwardly, minimizing the contact between her rear and the not-so-soft mattress. To the naked eye, they looked fine, but Shikamaru knew better. When the ANBU search teams had brought her in, she had been a wreck. He himself had been at the hospital at that moment to check on his friends, and he had overheard the conversation between the doctors and the ANBU. They were amazed that she was even alive. Most of the bones in her body had been severely broken or even downright crushed by the massive weight of debris falling on her. She had several internal bleedings, as well as a shallow crack in the back of her skull. All in all, the bodily trauma and bloodloss should have killed her outright, but somehow she had survived. The secret medical techniques of the Nara family had helped a lot, that much was certain, but they had not saved the girl alone. Something else had kept her from passing away.

Shikamaru suspected it was strength of will. He had fought against the girl with his full power, and he had noted her unyielding belief in herself. It was an important trait in a shinobi. The willpower to not give up, despite all odds, despite pain, despite fear. Shinobi, whether from the Village of Leaf or the Village of Sound, were tools of war. That was the truth. They were expected to push on, through fire and flames, until they died in service. It was their duty, their curse and their life. Shikamaru knew it well. It was that duty which had put him in the lead of a small team, trying to take back a comrade against some of the Sound Village's strongest shinobi. Out of those five enemy shinobi they had faced in one-on-one combat, only one remained. Shikamaru looked at the girl sitting in front of him, and she looked back, giving him an icy glare. Maybe we're not so different after all, Shikamaru mused.

"What the hell are you waiting for, jackass?! Do your shit and then fuck off!" Tayuya snapped. She was getting seriously irritated at the black-haired boy, who kept staring dumbly at her. He seemed completely lost in his own world, and seemingly oblivious to the girl in front of him. And if there was one thing Tayuya hated more than anything, it was being ignored by some weak-ass bastard. Shikamaru sighed, letting his reverie fade as he focussed on the task at hand. Why did the girl have to be so loud this early in the morning? It was starting to give him a headache.

"Yeah yeah, keep your pants on." he said, inching closer to the fuming redhead. "Wait, in fact, take them off." he added with a slight smirk. Which was promptly wiped off his face when the irrate redhead punched him over the head. Shikamaru grabbed his head, protesting against the violence done to him, but the girl only glared hatedly at him.

"Like fuck I'm taking my pants off, you pervert bastard!" she stated angrily, her fist lifted to show she meant business. Mumbling a 'troublesome', Shikamaru rubbed his head where she had hit him, before shrugging. This was getting more and more difficult.

"Then how am I gonna check your legs?" he asked dryly. Tayuya thought about it for a moment, before glaring at the boy. Either way was embarassing. "Would it help if I pulled up the legs, cocksucker?" she asked with a faked sweet tone, venom dripping from her voice with barely restrained disgust, from the thought of showing this brat more of her skin. Shikamaru shrugged again with a barely audible 'sure', his view on the situation clearly very unenthusiastic. Tayuya snorted in irritation and reached down, grumblingly pulling up first one leg of her pants, then the other. The thin blue fabric rolled up easily, revealing her pale, smooth skin underneath. Shikamaru looked at the wall over the bed, one eye resting on the Sound kunoichi, watching her movements with his usual lack of interest. As if noticing his gaze, she looked up, scowling at him as their eyes met. She pulled the fabric almost all the way up her thighs before stopping.

"Is this far enough, asshole?" she growled in annoyance. Partly because this bastard forced her to reveal her body to him, but she was also irritated because she couldn't stop a soft pink colour to taint her cheeks as Shikamaru looked at her thighs. Without answering, the black-haired chuunin squated down, placing his hand on her thigh. Tayuya tensed as his hand touched her skin, restraining the impulsa to jerk her leg away from the touch. Actually, it wasn't really a touch. Shikamaru's hand wasn't quite in contact with her skin, but still close enough to set the nerves in her skin tingling with his presence. The sensation was almost ticklish, teasing her skin with a touch that didn't come. Tayuya bit her lip, still scowling down at the younger boy's face.

Shikamaru moved his hands in a steady, calm movement over the girl's thigh. He kept his hand just from touching the pale, smooth skin, elegantly following the shape of her leg, over the knee. Chakra seeped from his hand, slipping inside the girl's pores and spreading through her leg. He heard Tayuya gasp at the feeling, but he paid it no mind. The chakra smoothed its way around her bones, and Shikamaru could almost sense how well her legs were healing. He closed his eyes softly, focussing on the chakra he pushed into the girl's leg. He had to be careful to not use too much chakra. The jutsu that had healed her bones was sensitive, and he did not want to disrupt it. It would be very troublesome if he would have to redo it. With his eyes closed, he tried to sense his own chakra inside the Sound girl's leg. Soon, a clear image appeared in his mind, like a bat's sonar. His chakra was blue, curling around black areas that Shikamaru knew were bones. He smiled slightly in approval. To him, it seemed most of the bones were healing well. Naturally, they were not yet strong enough to run with, or fight with, but she would be able to walk. Satisfied with the result, Shikamaru opened his eyes, and noticed the girl was looking at him with a wondering, scrutinizing expression on her face. When he opened his eyes she jerked slightly, immediately turning her eyes away from him, the scowl returning to her expression. Shikamaru sighed and sat up on the chair again. For a few minutes he sat there, writing down the results. Then he looked at the girl.

"Your legs look fine by the way." he said dryly. "You don't have to be so embarrassed." he added. Tayuya only gave him a sour glare, and pulled down the legs of her pants hurriedly, her cheeks again turning pink.

The questioning went on for almost half an hour. Shikamaru asked the red-haired girl all kinds of questions, about her physical condition as well as her mental health, which Tayuya answered irritatedly. Her sharp answers consisted mostly of 'yes shithead' and 'no asshole', with a yelled 'No, I don't have fucking pms, you fucking half-deer inbred bastard!' thrown in for good measure. Shikamaru had bit back a stinging reply when she said that. He didn't like people who mocked his family name. Needless to say, by the time they were done both teens were seriously irate at eachother. Shikamaru sat rubbing his right temple with two fingers, a decent headache growing in his skull. He would rather have been somewhere else, watching the skies or something. At least the skies were quiet. Sighing, he closed his eyes and stood up slowly, closing the notepad he had been writing in. Tayuya followed him with her brown eyes, glaring at him as she followed his every movement.

"Seems like we're done here." Shikamaru said slowly, looking at the girl while his hand rubbed the back of his head idly, running through his black hair. "I'll be back some other time...Troublesome woman..." he muttered. Tayuya nodded sourly, eyeing him coldly at the words he called her by. Without another word, Shikamaru knocked on the steel door, and a few seconds later it swung open. He turned around once more to face her, standing in the open doorway with a relaxed pose, studying her. She snarled as he made no move to leave. His very being irritated her immensely, but she kept calm by force of will. She was not gonna give him the reward of seeing her lose it. Not again.

"Hurry and get out, bastard." Tayuya muttered under her breath, throwing him another cold glare. "I'm not gonna miss you." she added, her eyes promising pain if the pineapple-headed fucker didn't get the hell out of her sight. To her surprise, the young chuunin smiled, if it could be called a smile. His lips jerked ever so slightly upwards, but the amusement in his eyes told her that he didn't quite believe her last words. Tayuya snarled lowly, but before she could throw him a colourful curse, the iron door slammed shut, leaving her sitting alone in her cell. Her hands clenched into fists, and she stared angrily at the door. Lifting her fist, she punched into the hard mattress next to her. Again. Again.

Damn him! Fucking damn him to hell! Her raging anger was largely directed at the chuunin, but also at herself. She hated herself for admitting it, but she felt lonely now. She felt so very conscious of the empty space where he had been sitting. The wooden chair still stood there, mocking her with its empty seat. Snarling, Tayuya sprang to her feet with a sudden burst of energy. She swept the chair aside with her hand, sending it clattering to the stone floor. With all her strength, she punched into the steel door. There was a low clang of metal, and pain surged up her arm as her knuckles connected with the unyielding surface. She didn't care. The sensation was dull in her mind, like it had been wrapped in a blanket. Why did she feel alone all of a sudden? Another punch earned Tayuya another clang, and another wave of dull red pain. Why? Clang. Why?! Clang. WHY?! Clang! Clang! Clang!

The girl forced herself to breathe calmly, by pure effort of will. Her arms fell limp, her muscles suddenly out of strength. She leaned her head heavily against the cold steel of the door, the coolness feeling comforting against her forehead. Casting her eyes down, she could see a few crimson droplets falling from her clenched fists. She paid it no heed. The aching in her knuckles was still somewhat dulled, like her senses had been covered in a thick emotional blanket. She didn't know how long she stood there, her mind registering neither time nor space. She shivered softly, and a single tear ran down her cheek. After a long, slow run down her skin, it fell heavily from her chin. The small drop of salty water shattered against the cold stone, mingling with the blood from her bruised and battered knuckles. Tayuya bit down a choked sob. Why was she so messed up? Why was she so out of control, just by seeing the person who was the cause of her being alive and in this miserable existence? She wanted to despise him. She wanted to loath him. Above all else, she should have been filled by a bottomless hatred for him. And yet...

She sighed softly. She didn't understand herself right now. She needed time to calm down, she realised. In a few hours, she would be back to her good, old self. A faint smile crossed her lips. The thought comforted her. Her hate and her lust for bloodied revenge was the only things that kept her going. It was all she had. She chuckled gleefully as her mind again filled with mental images of the torture she would cause the pineapple-headed bastard. She would savour his screams like the sweetest and juiciest fruit, just like she had in the forest one and a half month before.

As her chuckled died away, she became aware of another sound. It was like a whistle, like the weakest of winds sliding through pipework. In the fraction of a second it grew stronger. Tayuya realised with a jerk that it was the very familiar sound of a thrown metal object spinning and cutting through air. And it was getting closer. Fast.

With the speed of a Shinobi, Tayuya spun around towards the small window, just in time to catch a hard, cold metal object straight in the face.

**To be continued...**

Another chapter come and gone. Time to scrounch up some ideas for the next one :-p

As always, reviews and criticism is most, most, most welcome. (read: demanded) ;-)

Till next time.

Haraio


	4. Chapter Four: Breakthrough

Wow o.o

This one took quite some time to write. I had really not imagined it would take this long. I had expected this to be a short chapter, but instead it became really long (by my standards anyway). In fact, it turned out to be the longest chapter so far. I guess it's partly to blame on everything that happens in this chapter. I really enjoyed writing this, cause I really got an outlet for my sadistic side. Yes, I said sadistic.

Everyone of you who wanted some revenge against the bastards from the first chapter, rejoice! -evil grin-

Anyway, this chapter took a lot of time and patience from myself, because it's crucial to the developing story line (you will see why when you read the chapter), and I wanted to get it just right. I've been planning this chapter in my mind since the start of the series, and it felt good to finally be able to write it all down. No, I don't draft anything. I plan it in my head, and write it down when the time comes. That's how I like to work :-) I'm also very glad I decided to split chapter three and four apart, instead of writing them in one. It would have been one ungodly long chapter Xx

Well, enough random chit-chat from me. Time to get started with the chapter, before y'all get bored and leave o.o;;

As with the previous chapters, my beta reader is my girlfriend and inspiration source, Natasja. Seriously, what would this story have been without her? Nothing, that's what. She's the one who encourage me to keep going and who point out mistakes and things I should improve. So, a big applause to my girl here. This one's for you, baby :-)

So, let's get this party going (finally...).

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, though I wish I did. It would be all about a certain redhead and would run at nights on adult channel ;-D

**Chapter 4: Breakthrough**

"Owww!" Tayuya reeled back with a curse, her yell more from surprise than actual pain. Her back hit the heavy steel door, and golden stars danced before her brown eyes as her head followed suit. She heard the familiar sound of metal clattering against stone, from the object that had struck her. Her vision still swimming slightly, she brought her hand up to her face. She rubbed on the bridge of her nose where the object had hit her. Another vicious curse left her lips as her fingers hit the sore point on her nose. Whatever that thing was, it had given her a real bruise. With an angry expression, Tayuya turned her brown eyes down to the floor, to see what had hit her. As her eyes settled on the metal object, they widened in shock and surprise. Whatever she had expected, this was not is. For a moment she was absolutely dumbstruck. Forcing her eyes away from the object, she looked at the window. It had come through there. Half walking, half stumbling, Tayuya hurried over to the small window and used the thick steel bars to lift herself up, not trusting her legs enough to jump.

She looked out over the back of the prison building, with lush green grass and big, leaf-heavy trees. She was in the second floor, Tayuya suddenly realised. She had never bothered looking out the small window before. Now she regretted it. She could see everything from here. The prison building was in the outskirts of Konoha, surrounded by a small patch of wood. Over the old, green trees she could see the wall surrounding the village rising high, and she thought she could make out tiny figures walking along the battlements. The golden sun was rising slowly towards its peak on a clear blue sky, telling Tayuya that it was still a bit before noon. It was almost beautiful. But even from her vantage point on the second floor, she couldn't see what she was looking for. Who had thrown that thing through her window? Her eyes scanned the treeline running parallel with the wall some ten metres away, searching for signs of life.

There! Tayuya caught a quick movement in the corner of her eye, and immediately twisted her eyes in the correct direction. She thought she saw a hooded shadow slipping into the forest to her right. Tayuya strained her brown eyes as much as she could, trying to make out anything else, but the shadowy figure was gone. The red-haired girl gave an irritated sigh. Now she was more confused than before. She had actually hoped to get an answer to the question that was beating inside her head. Who had given her this help? But instead of getting an answer, she had only gotten more questions, irritating questions that she knew couldn't be answered at the moment. Growling in displeasure, Tayuya dropped herself down to the hard stone floor, ignoring the flash of pain from her abused legs. The painful throbbing in her legs echoed in the bruise on her nosebridge, and again she looked scrutinizingly down at the object that had given her the bruise.

To an unknowing eye, it could have looked like a short piece of simple metal piping, but the red-haired Sound kunoichi knew better. She could see the finely drilled holes in the object. It looked very simple, but Tayuya could see that the ends of the metal pipe had been smoothed down, and she could only imagine how long it could have taken to accomplish it. It was a fine piece of work, of which she was certain. Slowly, almost hesitantly, she kneeled, wincing slightly in pain as she reached for it. As her fingers touched the metal, a slight jolt went through her. Tayuya's eyes widened in surprise, as something inside her clicked into place. She didn't even realise how much she had missed it. With shaking fingers, she picked up the simple metal flute. She had missed her own music so much. The red-haired girl drew a shaky breath, salty tears welling up in her eyes. Her fingers clenched around the slim metal flute, afraid that it was an illusion, that it would wisk away like morning mist. She was so scared. Scared that if the flute disappeared between her fingers, she would break. That she would no longer be able to resist. Right now, the flute was the only thing that held her above a raging storm of despair and hopelessness, and she didn't know if the slim branch that saved her would hold. Closing her eyes, a choked sob rose in her throat as heavy tears ran down her pink cheeks. The metal felt strong and solid between her fingers. It was not an illusion. It was real. The flute was real. With another sob, the Sound girl opened her brown eyes and looked down at the flute in her trembling hands. A faint smile crossed her lips, the first in many weeks.

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Outside the prison, standing on the branch of a large oak tree, stood the same shadowy figure. His heavy hood concealed his face within the shadows of the leaves. The black-haired shinobi smiled as he looked at the cell window through which he had thrown the flute. Pretty soon now. Things would escalate very soon. All he had to do was wait. Pulling the heavy hood deeper down over his face, he disappeared suddenly in a gust of leaves.

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Filled with apprehension, the young girl brought the smooth instrument to her dry, pink lips. The first note sounded shrill and choking, like an alleycat being strangled noisily with a metal wire. Tayuya gritted her teeth, licking her dry lips with her tounge, before trying again. This time the tone was slightly softer, but still nowhere near what anyone would call good music. Tayuya smacked her lips in irritation. Closing her eyes, the girl cleared her throat quietly, before again putting her lips to the opening. Rather than blowing, it was like a breath of her soul went through the flute, all her emotions flowing through the metal instrument. Every note was a feeling directly from her heart. She was painting the most clear and perfect picture of her past and present. The redhead wove a complex pattern of tones and notes, each one springing unbidden from her lips. Tayuya smiled softly, her brown eyes still closed as she tilted her head slowly from one side to another, following the music. The melody was smooth and soft like the finest silk at first, as Tayuya expressed her happiness in the only way she could. She was so happy to have a flute again. The melody gradually turned faster and sharper, as Tayuya poured her hate and dreams of bloodied revenge into the tune. The movement of her head also grew faster and more violent, and Tayuya felt herself completely caught up in the music, the emotional waves washing over her, dragging her along. She let herself go willingly, floating along with the music as if it was a warm river embracing her.

She didn't know how long she sat there, just playing the flute. It could have been only a few minutes, it could well have been hours. She didn't feel fatigued by playing. Hell, she was barely breathing faster. When she finally ended her playing session, the red-haired girl drew the last note into a long and elegant, slowly fading tone. As the single tone echoed and died inside her cell, Tayuya withdrew her lips from the instrument and smiled softly. All her emotions were gone. All the hate, anger, despair and loneliness were released by the music. It was the only way Tayuya had ever been able to express her feelings. Whenever the girl felt overcome with emotions, she would just play her beloved flute, and it would all go away. It was like a security vent, which she would use if her feelings and thoughts threatened to boil over. That was the gift granted to her by music. Admiringly, Tayuya ran her fingers slowly over the metal instrument. It was a good flute. A decent metal instrument like this took a long time to make, of that much she was certain. Both the ends and the holes in the metal pipe were delicately smoothed, smooth like glass to the touch. The mouthpiece was shaped in the same smooth way, like it had been made specifically for her lips. It fit her so well, like the kiss of a soulmate's lips would have felt like to another person. She embraced the feeling fully, as she put the instrument to her lips again. Soft tunes and sharp notes intermingled like wind and leaves as she lost herself completely in the music again.

Again, the passing of time slipped her elegantly by as she played her intoxicating music, her mind not registering anything else but the emotional tones that appeared from her flute. Tears of happiness rolled slowly down her cheeks as she played, enhancing the aura of vulnerable emotions that hung around her being. She didn't cease playing until there was a sharp sound of knuckles striking metal. Tayuya opened her moist eyes, looking in bewilderment at the door, not at first registering what the sound meant. The heavy steel door swung open with a low click, revealing three masked men in the hallway outside. Tayuya removed the flute from her mouth, her lips pulling back into a snarl as the men stepped inside her cell. They were all wearing identical clothing, consisting of dark grey leather vests and black pants. All three carried a sheathed katana vertically on their back, and Tayuya could see a swirly black tattoo on their upper left arms. Their faces were hidden by ceramic masks shaped like animals. It took a moment for the realization to dawn on Tayuya, but the animals on the masks were familiar to her. To her left stood a fox, in the center a hawk or falcon, and to her right a badger. Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she eyed the ANBU with pure-minded hatred. She recognised them now. It was the same three inbred bastards who had raped her two weeks ago. Her blood was boiling at the thought of that very day, where they had raped her for the first time. They had come to her cell a few times since then, among the other ANBU teams which sought to take advantage of the red-haired prisoner.

The three men now stood in her cell as the heavy steel door closed behind them, their expressionless masks looking at her, eyes void of emotion. Tayuya could imagine they were wondering where she had gotten the flute. She smiled slightly at them, daring them to move, while wiping the warm, salty tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand. None of them lifted a finger. They seemed content with just watching her for the moment. Giving a barely noticable shrug, Tayuya lifted the instrument to her lips. She sneered as she noticed a reaction. The leader, Bird-face, had tensed as she lifted the instrument. Tayuya had no doubt that the ANBU knew she used her flute to fight, but she trusted that they relied on the chakra seal. She blew softly into the instrument, and Bird-face seemed to relax. There was no bad intentions in the music that flowed from the metal flute. It was soft, like a summer day in a flower field. It was like the music filled the cell with the smell of roses. Tayuya grinned behind the mouthpiece.

Did she dare do it? Tayuya knew this was as good a chance as any to escape, but did she dare? Sure, she would probably have the element of surprise, but these men were no ordinary shinobi. These were ANBU, the elite force of Konohagakure. She had no way to be sure if she would be able to attack them before they noticed, or if they would be faster than her. If she failed at this point, she knew that she would lose her flute again. Her chakra seal would be reactivated, and they would renew their efforts to break her. Tayuya knew that if she failed now, she was doomed. She would be broken sooner or later, and reduced to a pitiful creature living only to pleasure others. She shuddered inwardly. She could not fail. She would rather die than being left to that fate. She glanced warily at the ANBU. For the moment they were standing at the same place as before, contently listening to her playing. But she knew that sooner or later one of them would make a move towards her. She had little time. It was now or never.

With her heart hammering wildly in her chest, the red-haired girl began molding her chakra. Any second she expected the ANBU to realise what she was doing and stop her. Time was not on her side. Sweat was starting to pool on her forehead, and she was surprised none of them had noticed yet. The seconds were moving with the speed of snails. She needed quite a bit of chakra for the technique she was gonna use, and with every bit of chakra she molded the danger for discovery grew. Time seemed to drag slowly along as she played a slow and mysterious melody. The lead ANBU, Bird-face, had his head tilted to the side, as if listening to hidden words in the melody. Suddenly he tensed, muscles going taut in the fraction of a second. Tayuya's breath caught in her throat, and the melody stopped the same fraction of a second. The man's head snapped around to look at her, and Tayuya could almost see the surprise through the animal mask. Shit! Shit shit shit shit! This is it! This is fucking it!

With her heart beating like a frantic battle drum, Tayuya released her chakra.

"Shit! Stop her!" Tayuya absently heard the ANBU yell, as he realised the danger. The mysterious melody she had been previously playing erupted into an agonizing shriek as her chakra flooded into her music, making the air throb and swim with unnatural power. The three masked men reacted like lightning, not as overcome with surprise as Tayuya had hoped. Over the sound of the skrieking flute, the Sound girl could hear the sound of three long katana being drawn swiftly from leather scabbards. Tayuya shut her eyes tight, focussing on the shrieking noise coming from her flute. Any second, she expected cold steel to slice into her body, to rip her flesh apart. She expected to feel a sharp blade carve into her muscles and organs. She expected to die. She had been a fool to try to fight against three elite shinobi. They would kill her easily. Tayuya awaited the killing blow calmly. Finally there would be an end to the torture. She was almost happy to finally be done with her life.

The final strike never fell.

Am I dead already? Tayuya thought to herself, wondering if they had killed her so quickly that she hadn't even noticed. Her eyes were closed, the darkness swallowing her. She could no longer feel the flute against her lips, or hear the music in her ears. Did they kill me? She tried to swallow down the uncertainty, and immediately felt something sting against her throat. The sensation startled her for a second, before relief washed over her like a tidal wave, making her shudder. She wasn't dead. If she could feel that sharp poke on her skin, she was very much alive. Tayuya caught herself gasping for air. It was strange. She had been close to death many times in her life, but this was the first time she was truly, honestly relieved to be alive.

Slowly, the flame-haired girl opened her brown eyes, and she suddenly realised how close she had been to death. The tip of the lead ANBU's katana was resting on her throat. If I had been the fraction of a second slower, Tayuya thought gratefully, not really wanting to think about it. A small smile spread slowly across her pink lips, as she took in the situation in the cell. All three men had drawn their blades, and stood frozen in various poses of attack. It was like she had stopped time, if not for the fact that the men were still breathing, evident by the way their chests rose and fell. Tayuya's smile widened into a grin. This was her most powerful genjutsu, and the ANBU would not be able to escape it. With a shaking hand, she pushed the blade against her throat to the side and lowered her trembling, throbbing legs to the floor. Something clattered against stone with a loud noise, startling the red-haired girl. She looked down, seeing her flute laying on the floor in front of her. She must have dropped it, while she thought she was dead. Tayuya smiled as her heart slowed down its frantic beating, and picked the flute up quickly. It felt assuring in her hand, like it was a part of her. Still smiling, she put it to her lips again, and played a few slow, haunting notes.

"Hari Kashaku no Ijin (Devil's Torture Needles)." Tayuya whispered, and the men shuddered, low moans escaping their lips as their bodies were forced to kneel. They sank slowly to their knees, their behinds resting on their heels, bodies straight and arms limp. Three katana dropped noisily to the hard stone floor. Tayuya stood up slowly, her bruised legs trembling slightly with effort. She smiled thriumphantly as she looked over the three figures kneeling in front of her. Suddenly, the tables were quite effectively turned.

Bending down akwardly, she picked up the katana laying to her left, belonging to the man with the fox-mask. The long blade felt heavier than she had imagined, but she had no problem holding it. The feeling of the weapon in her hand gave her a sense of security, of power. With a sneer, Tayuya stuffed her flute into one of the small ropes on her hat. Then, with a strong grip around the katana hilt, she struck Fox-face's head from his shoulders. The decapitated head landed on the stone floor with a soft thud, arterial blood spraying in a wide arc across the wall and floor, mingling with the filthy water. The body shuddered once, then toppled to the side, slumping lifelessly against the stone wall. Tayuya chuckled evilly, before turning her attention to the man in the center. Bird-face was panting slightly, she could hear his breath through the ceramic mask. Reaching out her hand, Tayuya quickly pulled the animal mask off him, and threw it with shattering force into the wall, smashing it. The man was young, Tayuya noted, most likely in his late twenties. He had short brown hair, and a nose that made Tayuya realise why he had gotten that particular mask. His mouth was hanging half open, tounge lolling out, and his blue eyes were rolled almost all the way back into his skull. The man's gaze was dazed and unfocussed, as if he was looking at things far away, beyond the world of mortals. Tayuya grinned evilly and placed her finger on the man's forehead, pushing his head backwards, until Bird-face's chin was almost parallel with his throat. Tayuya lifted her blood-covered blade and placed the tip on the man's tounge.

"Too bad, you fuckers really pissed me off." Tayuya whispered, before thrusting the long blade down vertically. Bird-face shuddered violently as the slim blade passed through his inner organs, stabbing through heart, thoracic diaphragm, liver, kidney, intestines and colon, before bursting out through his groin and clicking soundly against the hard stone floor. Crimson liquid gurgled loudly up through the man's upturned mouth, flowing freely down chin and throat. Tayuya grinned, and twisted the katana for good measure. Giving the hilt a light push, Tayuya let the dying man fall back against the door, the sword still impaled through his whole body.

Finally, Tayuya turned her full attention towards the last man, the object of her burning hatred. The bastard had taken her virginity, at least the anal one, and he had done it without care or thought. Pure-minded hatred burned in Tayuya's brain, clouding her eyes with blinding light. Bending down, she grabbed the two remaining swords, hefting them easily in her hands. She smiled viciously, savouring the vengeful bloodletting that was at hand. The genjutsu she had used was the most powerful she had ever learned, and unlike the one she had used on the pineapple-headed fucker, this one couldn't be cancelled by pain alone. In other words, it was perfect for what she had in mind for this person. With a grin so evil it would have scared the Kyuubi shitless, Tayuya begun her bloody work on her defenceless rapist. The thick walls of the prison made sure no one heard his terrifying death screams.

Grinning wildly, Tayuya stood up in her full height. Warm, crimson blood drippled from her hands and torso. She looked almost like she had been bathing in the life liquid, with it running from both her body and swords. Warm blood pooled slowly over the stone floor from the three bodies, making her naked toes tingle with excitement. Damn, that felt so fucking goooood! Tayuya was smiling wider than she had done in many months, brilliant white teeth showing in a toothy grin. Revenge was a fucking sweet thing, especially when she could really prolong the pain. She looked down at Badger-face's abused body, and her grin widened.

"Fucking sweet indeed."

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With a heavy halberd resting idly in his gauntleted hands, the armoured soldier stood guard outside cell 333. The ANBU interrogators had disappeared into the cell almost one hour ago, and he was starting to wonder what was going on. Normally, they wouldn't stay inside that long. Though, he had heard this was the special prisoner that they had captured. The one they called the Demon of the Sound. He had heard about her, and how even the biggest, baddest prisoners avoided her. She had a reputation for being easily riled and the possession of a particularly colourful language. She was a feisty one, that much he could tell. That was probably why they were taking so long.

While he was lost in his own thoughts, he suddenly heard three sharp knocks from the door he was standing next to. Smiling behind his visor, the soldier turned quickly towards the door and opened the viewing slit. His eyes grew large with shock and horror as he saw a gigantic foot coming straight towards him. Just the fraction of a second too late, he tried throwing himself to the side. The thick steel door blasted clear off its hinges with incredible speed. The heavy plate of steel struck the soldier's lower half as he dived for safety, cutting him almost clean in two. The broken body was flung to the side, the door banging into the wall on the opposite side. Amidst the noise of weapons drawn and surprised yells, a familiar redhaired kunoichi appeared from the broken doorway.

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As the Doki poofed out of existence, Tayuya grinned and ran through the smoke and the open doorway, out into a hallway filled with noise. Armoured guards were coming running from the right, shouting for backup. A few badly aimed bolts whirred past the Sound girl's head like angry hornets, close enough to make her stay low as her hands flashed in hand seals. The heavily armed and armoured Konoha soldiers were rushing forward with their halberds, while others reloaded their crossbows. They would be on her in a few seconds.

"Bear, ox, monkey, tiger." she muttered as she performed the appropriate hand seals, before thrusting her palms into the smooth stone floor. Immediately, there was an explosion of smoke, and the guards slowed down in surprise and hesitation. They had no chance to react to the next strike. Out of the smoke a massive metal club suddenly swung, batting one of the armoured figures into the thick stone wall with a sickly crunch. A massive creature appeared from the smoke as it cleared, wielding the jagged metal club easily in leather-gloved hands. It was twice or maybe thrice as tall as the sneering redhead who had summoned it. It was clad in a loose-fitting black robe, held in place by the same purple assbow that all of Orochimaru's subjects wore. Its medium-length hair was the colour of thick fog, and hung down over its face, covering all features. But of course, the armoured soldiers that faced it cared little about its face. They had more than enough with trying to avoid its heavy club. Tayuya had her new flute at her smiling lips, and she now played a fluent melody, the Doki obeying without thought. As the large demon charged forward, a few of the soldiers fired their weapons in sheer panic. Thick, foot-long wooden bolts punched into the Doki's chest, but the things was oblivious to the pain as it carved into the Konoha soldiers with wanton abandon.

While the large Doki began hurling soldiers left right and centre, and generally making one heck of a chaos, Tayuya took a few seconds to get her bearings. With her lips still playing the music that controlled the Doki, her eyes scanned the corridors. She had been out from her cells about twice a week in the last two months, and she knew the prison pretty well as a result. Going left would mean going to the large, open-spaced exercise area, which wasn't really at the top of Tayuya's priority list at the moment. In the other direction, she guessed, would be the exit. It was from there all the soldiers were coming, and it was in that direction her subordinate was carving a path, maiming one opponent after the other with its massive club. She would have to hurry. She would stand no chance if she was put face-to-face with another group of ANBU. She just had to put everything on the corridor to the right, and hope it led her out. Tayuya smiled grimly as she jogged after the Doki, all the while playing the flute. She ducked instinctively as a screaming armoured soldier was thrown like a ragdoll over her head, crossbow still slung over his shoulder. The Doki had flung the helpless soldier with its free hand, even while whacking aside another man with its club. Tayuya's smile widened slightly, the red-haired girl taking satisfaction from the loud noise as the man hit the stone floor twenty metres away. Tayuya grinned wickedly as she watched the carnage her summon was creating. It was a sweet revenge, and a nice way to get out her anger and frustration. She enjoyed the panicked expressions on the soldiers' faces as they tried to back away from the demon carving through their lines, savouring every flicker of pain she caused them. This was revenge for all the pain and humiliation she had suffered. This is fucking revenge, bitches! She felt like screaming those words out, her heart racing with the thrill of carnage and destruction.

Tayuya was so caught up in the carnage she was wreaking that when something struck her in the left shoulder, she was taken completely off guard. One moment she was jogging forward, following her minion's path, the next moment a powerful blow threw her forward. There was an odd sensation of flying. One fraction of a second, she was hanging in the air, everything silent around her. There was no pain, no warmth, no cold. Everything felt blank. Tayuya could only see the smooth stone beneath her, coming slowly closer. Then her shoulder exploded in pain, the world sped up, and she hit the ground hard, crying out as her breath was driven from her lungs. The white-hot pain in her shoulder was only enhanced by a numbing pain in her legs. Tayuya thought she had heard something crack when she hit the floor, but she wasn't sure. With arms trembling with pain, Tayuya tried to push herself up, her right fist clenching the metal flute tightly, not letting it go no matter what.

A sudden weight pushed the young girl back down. Tayuya let out a surprised cry, as an armoured boot pressed down roughly on her back. The sound of fighting subsided as the Doki stopped moving and stood silent, the soldiers attacking it with renewed fury. Tayuya was breathing hard. The pain was numbing, her whole body shaking in an effort to not break down completely. The weight of the steel-clad foot was pinning her effectively down. A sharp click reached Tayuya's ears, and to her horror she realised it was the sound of a crossbow string being reloaded. Another soft click followed, as the man pinning her down placed a fresh bolt into the firing slit. Fuck, this can't be it! Tayuya snarled at herself, willing herself to move. Come on you stupid cunt, move! You're gonna die! You're gonna fucking die!

Almost purely on instinct, Tayuya felt the man above her tensing, and she threw her head to the side, feeling a rush of air. A thick wooden bolt, tipped with steel plating, struck the stone surface scant inches from her nose. Tayuya could feel the sensation of tiny pieces of chipped stone pattering against her cheek. Fuck, that thing would have crushed my skull in an instant! Tayuya mentally screamed to herself. The realisation woke her up a bit, as she hurriedly put her flute to her lips and played a few sharp notes. The man above her laughed cruelly, as he put another bolt into the firing slit of his crossbow, and aimed it towards the base of her neck, making sure she could not avoid the shot.

"Now you die, demon cu-" That was about as far as he got, as in the next moment the Doki had reached its subjugated mistress. A powerful thrust kick caught the soldier pinning Tayuya down full in the chest, hurling him backwards through the corridor in spectacular fashion. Tayuya heard the sharp crack of metal being caved in, and she was sure she could hear his ribs snapping like dry wood. She didn't care. She was in pain, and she didn't know how long she could hold on to her consciousness.

Weary-minded, she ordered the Doki to lift her up like a mother would lift her baby, holding the young Sound girl with one arm while protecting her with the other, wielding the heavy steel club like a shield. When Tayuya finally got settled into a moderately comfortable position against the Doki's large chest, she put the flute to her lips again. The demon sprang into motion, charging straight through the oncoming warriors, scattering them left, right and underfoot. Shouts and screams echoed from behind her as the Doki ran with long, heavy steps, easily leaving the human warriors behind. The position was really not comfortable for the Sound girl. Her shoulder was aching with pain, and she could dully feel warm blood running down her back. Likewise, her legs were hurting too. Tayuya was pretty sure she had broken the delicate healing jutsu the pineapple-headed fucker had cast on her. She growled through clenched teeth at the very thought of him. Oh, if she met him again, she would twist his fucking neck around. She would tear his head off and spit down his neck. She would let him feel all the pain she had ever felt. He was the cause of her whole miserable situation, and Tayuya swore to Kami above that she would make him pay one way or the other, no matter what it took.

Fresh lances of pain flashed through her body as the Doki ran, its heavy footfalls shaking Tayuya against its chest. Tayuya gritted her teeth against the agony, forcing herself to keep playing the tune. Her vision was swimming and blurring with every five second. Fuck, if she lost consciousness now it would all be over. She had to keep going no matter what. She would not lay down and die here. The Doki kept running through the corridors, gradually losing the soldiers following her. Tayuya didn't care. She kept playing her flute, urging her minion to run faster. In her mind, she calculated the size of the building to try and find the most likely location of the exit. She couldn't hide in here. Twisting sharply left at a corner, she finally saw light. It was perhaps the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, like a man standing before the gates of heaven. Perhaps fifty metres away, Tayuya could see the exit.

The guards at the gate tried to stop her, but the Doki simply ran them down. One, two, three bounding steps, and the last remaining Sound Five member was out in the sunlight of Konohagakure's streets. Not taking the time to enjoy the sunlight, Tayuya urged the demon onward down the empty street, as more shouts of alarm were raised behind her. Tayuya knew it would only be a matter of time before the ANBU would respond to the alarm. That meant she had two options.

She could make a break for the large wall that surrounded Konohagakure, to try and break through into the forest beyond. It was risky. She would have to show herself completely, and she was likely to face heavy resistance. In her current state, she wouldn't last long against other shinobi. Tayuya growled softly, not liking the thought of the other option. The other option was to hide somewhere in the village, and hope that they would give up the search for her after a while. Perhaps, if she was lucky, they would think she had slipped over the wall unnoticed. Desperately, Tayuya looked around for a good place to hide. Anywhere, as long as it would hide her. Her brown eyes scanned left and right, before finally settling on a tight alleyway between two houses. That would do. Forcing her strained lungs to breathe life into the flute, she ordered the Doki over to the alley. It was dark and full of trash, and Tayuya gritted her teeth in disgust as the Doki put her down behind a couple of trash cans. Using the last of her chakra, Tayuya made the Doki disappear in a poof of smoke, before she crawled on her hands and knees behind the trash cans.

This was her last gamble. If they found her now, she wouldn't be able to fight back. All her nightmares would come true, and she would never be free. In the distance, over the noise of soldiers barking orders, the girl could hear the sound of shinobi moving rapidly across the village. Tayuya curled herself together against the trash cans, her arms wrapped around her knees. If they find me now, Tayuya resolved bitterly, I will bite off my tounge. Better to die here and now, rather than being a sex slave for the rest of my fucking life. The red-haired girl lowered her head, burying her face in her knees and trying to make herself as small as possible. She did not want to die. She wanted to know if there was only pain in this world, or if anything else existed. She hoped it would. Her whole body was throbbing with pain, but her mind was barely registering it. Tayuya was dead tired, her mind not working properly. Everything seemed very distant. Except...

Tayuya suddenly realised something. Two things. One was that the sounds of soldiers and shinobi were growing more distant. That could only mean that her ploy had been successful. And she also realised that she was not alone. There was another presence in the alley. With her back towards the dark alley, Tayuya lifted her face from her knees. But before she could turn around, a warm hand clamped shut over her mouth. Tayuya tried to scream, to struggle against the grip that held her. But she had no strength left. Another arm wrapped around her arms and chest, preventing her from struggling. Tayuya knew it was futile. Her escape had taken every last bit of strength, every shred of chakra. She was spent. Tayuya had no chance to fight back as her hidden attacker dragged her into the dark shadows of the alley.

**To be Continued...**

Well, that's it from me for this time. Time to start writing the next chapter. God, how I love to keep you all hanging like this. It's the only outlet for my sadistic mind I have ;-P

Anyway, read and review please! I would really like to hear your thoughts on the story so far, and everyone's guesswork on where I'm going. In the meantime, take care.

Haraio


	5. Chapter Five: Destiny is a Bitch

Phew, I'm finally back :-)

To those who've been waiting impatiently for this chapter, I apologize. I have a good reason why it took so long. Hold on, I left it here somewhere... -searches around-

Ah, yes, I found it :-P Well, the truth is that I've been very busy because of the Easter celebration. For one, I had to work extra at my workplace, because there were so many customers. Secondly, my family visited, so I had to spend time with them. And thirdly, I recently got the new Dawn of War game, Soulstorm. So yeah, that's where alot of writing hours have disappeared to :-P

But anyway, here I am with the fifth chapter. The plot thickens, as they say. That's what you can basically say about the chapter. Has everyone placed their bets on who Tayuya's attacker is? Good.

Then let's get this show rolling! :-D

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or the show would be renamed "Tayuya". :-P

**Chapter Five: Destiny is a Bitch**

Tayuya's naked feet slapped soundly against the hardpacked ground. Excruciating pain struck like shards of burning steel up her legs, but the red-haired girl ignored it. All her diminishing focus was on the person pulling her along into the dark alley between the two houses. A strong hand was clamped shut over her pink lips, both preventing her from screaming and from biting the hand. She drew frantic and desperate breaths through her nostrils, a variety of smells filling her nose as she sucked in the oxygen. She could smell the sharp, decaying miasma of rotting vegetables and meat, the heavy aura of old trash, and the familiar smell of her own blood and sweat. Tayuya struggled against the grip around her arms, but her opponent didn't budge. It was no use. Tayuya was so tired. She had no strength left, and she could feel the threat of losing consciousness growing. No. Her hatred and anger welled up in her like an icy stream, refusing to give up. It rippled through her body, flooding below her skin and into her muscles, filling her with strength that only cold, true spite can give you. She did not want to die here, among filthy trash cans and garbage. If this bastard thought he could have Tayuya of the Sound easily, he would have to do some serious rethinking of his plans. Summoning all her strength, Tayuya wrestled her right arm free from the grip of her assailant's arm and reached backwards, hoping to reach some vulnerable spot. Something soft touched her fingers, and Tayuya struck like a desperate viper. Her fingers locked around a handful of hair, and without thinking she yanked forward. There was a pained grunt behind the Sound girl, and the grip around her arms loosened slightly. Tayuya tilted her head backwards, both in an attempt to get free from the hand that was shutting her up and to see what it was she had grabbed. As she looked up, her view was filled with a knot of black hair, in a shape that reminded Tayuya of a very particular fruit, her fingers still locked around it.

Tayuya gawked deadpanned at the black knot of hair in front of her wide brown eyes, her lower lip twitching slightly in shocked disbelief. It was hereby fucking official. Someone above, probably God himself, hated her ass. The world, it seemed, had a really cruel sense of humour, which was going at her own expense most of the time. Her body fell limp, her only strength being in the grip around the bundle of hair. Tilting her head weakly backwards further, she looked up into a very familiar face. A pair of lazy eyes looked down at her, accompanied with an equally unenthusiastic expression. Tayuya snarled into the Konoha chuunin's palm, letting him know her hatred for him, her warm breath striking his skin. Nara Shikamaru lifted his hand slightly, and when the Sound girl didn't immediately begin screaming profanities at the top of her lungs, he removed his hand from her face. In response, Tayuya tugged forcefully on the younger boy's hair, pulling his eyes very close to hers. Shikamaru could see the seething anger in her brown eyes, her hatred seeping out and coating her words with poison as she spoke in a hushed tone.

"Fucking perfect. Out of all the inbred bastards in this shit village, it just _had_ to be you who finish me off, didn't it?" she snarled through gritted teeth, as her eyes drilled into the person who was the cause of all her misery. Destiny seemed to get some sick pleasure in pushing this bastard into her path time and time again. There was no fucking way this was all a coincidence.

"Nice to see you too, Tayuya." the black-haired boy replied dryly, the hint of sarcasm in his voice making it evident he was not faced by the redhead's harsh words. The fact angered Tayuya even more. Not only had this bastard downed her only chance of an escape. Now he didn't even have the decency to be taken aback by her swearing! The Sound girl was practically steaming with anger, and of course her body was not really able to struggle against the Konoha chuunin. The two young shinobi were sitting in a very akward position. Tayuya was sitting on her rear, with her head leaning on the younger boy's stomach. Shikamaru in turn was on his knees, forced to lean over the girl due to her strong fist still gripping his black hairknot rather painfully.

"And I'm not gonna 'finish off' a woman." the boy added in the same neutral tone of voice, his eyes scanning Tayuya's lithe body, calculating the danger level of her wounds. As far as he could see, she had no deadly wounds, although she had a thick wooden bolt lodged between her shoulder bones and her left knee had been twisted in a rather unnatural angle. Shikamaru sighed slightly. The girl had obviously shattered the frail medical technique he had used in an attempt to heal her bone structure. He knew that this meant he would have to act fast. If the leg went unhealed for too long, the bones would grow that way, leaving the Sound girl with a deformed leg. Even if she was his enemy, he didn't wish that for her.

Tayuya almost couldn't believe her ears. Did this bastard just say that he did not intend to kill her?

"You're a fucking idiot, do you know that?" she chuckled bitterly. "Are you still spouting that man-and-woman crap?" She couldn't believe this guy. Even when they had fought in the forest, when she had seriously tried to kill him in the most painful way possible, he had still maintained his ideology of gentleman-crap. "What the hell are you doing here anyway?" she demanded to know, wanting to know if it was just some sadistically cruel twist of fate that had led them together once again. In response, the chuunin lifted his hand lazily and pointed a single finger up towards the building to their left.

"Your escape didn't exactly go very quiet. I went up there to see what was going on, and saw you hiding down here." he stated simply, like it was the most natural thing in the world. Their eyes met, and the redhead thought she could see a smile flickering in the boy's eyes. Tayuya snarled, letting go of his hair and casting her eyes away. So the cocksucking bastard had basically captured her, undoubtably to get all the credit for her failed escape. Tayuya was sure he was gonna enjoy the thought of her being tortured for the rest of her life. All that gentleman-crap of yours is just talk, Tayuya thought bitterly. He was just too cowardly to finish her off himself, so he was waiting for someone to come and do the job for him.

"Why don't you just kill me and get it over with?" Tayuya muttered, looking straight ahead towards the open street. Her freedom was out there, in the sunlight. She was so close, like she could almost reach out and touch the light. But here she was, lost in the shadows between the two tall buildings. She was so tired of running, of hiding. She would rather die than being a prisoner again. She felt the Konoha chuunin shift behind her, as he brought his eyes down to look at the quiet redhead.

"Why should I?" he asked simply, lifting a hand to comb idly through his black hair. "It's not my way of doing things. Besides, it would be very troublesome to get the blood and grime off my clothes." he added, while watching the flame-haired girl carefully. She seemed a little unstable at the moment, but then again the Sound girl had always struck Shikamaru as severely troublesome. How come he always met loud and bossy girls like her? It was not the first time, mind you. No, he always ran headlong into this type of girls. Ino, his teammate, was the very epitomy of loud and bossy. The blonde had from the first half hour of them being a team declared herself the team leader. Not that Shikamaru minded, of course. As far as he cared, she could have all the responsibility. But of course, it was not only her. Temari, the Kazekage's sister, was just as much if not more of a bossy chick, and she knew it very well. She was strong too, which was a little bit scary. It was her who had defeated the redhead who was now laying on his lap, staring blankly ahead and muttering something he didn't quite get. Shikamaru sighed. Why did women always have to be so troublesome?

"Hey jackass, I'm talking to you!" Tayuya snapped irritatedly, pulling the black-haired boy from his own thoughts. She tried to turn her torso around to face him, but as soon as she tried to move a sharp pain stung in her shoulder. Tense waves of pain rushed through her left side, leaving her gasping softly for air. Gritting her teeth, she fell to the right, landing on her good shoulder on the hard ground. Great. Now she was in an even more vulnerable and akward position, her vision filled with the view of a large, green, wheel-mounted bin, surrounded by bags of old trash. The stench filled her nostrils and made her gag. The smell was so strong, it made her want to retch. Her feet had almost ceased following her commands, which scared her a little. She did not want to live the rest of her life as a cripple. Then again, she didn't know how long the 'rest of her life' would be. Tayuya snarled in defiance, both against her current situation and against her own failing body. Turning her head, she glared sharply at the boy sitting next to her on the ground, ignoring the new wave of sharp needles stabbing at her neck.

"Sorry, what did you say?" Shikamaru replied lazily, meeting the redhead's dagger-casting eyes evenly. All the troublesome girls he came up against always gave him the evil eyes, so he was kinda getting used to it. The fact that he didn't mind her stare seemed to aggrivate Tayuya further, as she snorted angrily in response. Women were always so hard to understand.

"I said kill me now, fucker!" Tayuya snapped angrily. She would not go back to being a sex slave, never again. It was only a matter of time before the boy handed her over to the ANBU, and Tayuya knew it. The numbing pain which ravaged her whole body told her she wouldn't be going anywhere soon. Her damages were extensive, that much she could tell. Which left her with two options. Either she would convince the bastard to grant her the release of death, or she would have to do it herself by biting her tounge off. She was certain she would have the strength of will to actually do it. When faced with the option of being reduced to a mindless body for others' enjoyment, she would have no trouble letting herself bleed to death. It would be sweet, and a fitting ending to her life. A bitter smile graced her pink lips. She would meet everyone in hell. Her teammates and her father, her weakling mother. Everyone she had ever known, and everyone who had ever abused her, or let her be abused. They would all share the same fate until eternity.

The small smile died on her lips, as she looked at the Konoha chuunin. Why hadn't the pineapple-head done anything yet? Tayuya had expected him to signal someone, to let anyone know he had captured her. But no, he was just sitting there, looking at her with the same unenthusiastic expression. Tayuya didn't understand. Why didn't he call out for the ANBU? The masked shinobi would still be out there, searching for her. All the black-haired bastard needed to do, was to call out, and they would be there in seconds to drag her away. So why didn't he? That question repeated itself over and over in Tayuya's mind, but she could find no logical answer to it.

The minutes passed in silence as the two shinobi watched eachother. Shikamaru was still sitting on his knees, his hands folded in his lap as he watched the redhead. His expression was the very epitomy of careless laziness, his eyes meeting the Sound girl's own brown eyes without hesitation, despite the looks she gave him. At the moment she seemed content with just laying there and eyeing him hatedly, and Shikamaru was fine with just sitting there. At least she wasn't yelling insults at him.

Tayuya, on the other hand, was not fine with continuing the silent staring match. The longer she and the pineapple-headed bastard idled here, the more likely it was that someone would find her. On top of that, her currect position was very uncomfortable, not only because of her wounds. She was laying with back towards the Konoha shinobi, who was still sitting right behind her, and had to turn her head very far so that she could show him her hatefilled brown eyes. Finally getting enough of that position, she twisted herself towards the black-haired bastard, completely forgetting her own injuries for a moment. Thus, she was unprepared when her shoulder exploded in agony, quite literally. As Tayuya's left shoulder hit the ground, the long wooden bolt that was lodged in it was pushed out in a shower of blood. A terrible wail of pain left Tayuya's lips as she looked with wide eyes at the bloodied metal-plated bolt that jutted from her shoulder. The pain was unbearable, and fresh crimson blood poured over her light blue prison uniform, spreading over her chest like a warm blanket. Tayuya's scream gradually died out as she finally lost consciousness and drifted into the dull and senseless darkness, the pain at last too much for her to bear.

Shikamaru grimaced as the flamehaired girl screamed out in pain, before she duly passed out, from the combination of her wounds and exhaustion. As the shrill sound of her voice died away, the blackhaired boy let out his breath slowly, in an irritated sigh. Just perfect. The troublesome woman had just managed to blow her own cover, and Shikamaru had no doubt someone had heard the loud scream of pain. Sure enough, a few seconds later he could feel a chakra presence coming in their direction. Shikamaru, the great genious, now had several option, though none of them seemed very favourable. He could let the authorities take the girl, but if they did he doubted that she would get medical treatment fast enough to save her legs. No matter what she had done, the redhaired Sound shinobi was still a woman, and she didn't deserve living the rest of her life as a cripple. Another option was to treat her himself, though that would lead him into a whole lot of trouble. He looked at the redhead for a few moments, debating his choice. His own skin, or his pride as a gentleman?

"Troublesome..."

Shikamaru finally made his choice. Leaning forward with a determined expression on his face, he placed one hand under the girl's knees, the other under her lower back, careful not to touch her wound. If he did, Shikamaru had no doubts hell would truly break loose. Quickly, he pushed the unconscious girl under the bulk of the trash bin, making sure to lower her wounded shoulder gently to the ground so she wouldn't wake up. Moments were precious, Shikamaru realised, with the chakra presence coming closer fast. Standing up, Shikamaru looked around hurriedly. There was still a lot of evidence around. Especially all the crimson liquid on the ground and on his stomach, where the foulmouthed girl had bled her lifeblood on his dark green chuunin vest. Using his foot, he scraped some sand over the spatters of blood on the ground, hoping that it would be enough to cover the amount of crimson liquid. For good measure, he threw a trash bag on top of the largest pool of crimson blood. Feeling the presence very close, Shikamaru grabbed another bag which he held in front of his torso, hiding the blood stain on his jacket and vest. Not a second too soon, as in the next moment Shikamaru heard a soft thud. Leaves whirled in a strong wind on top of the trash bin, and a masked ANBU appeared. He was wearing the standard grey pants and vest that all the Konoha special troops wore, as well as the easily recognisable ceramic mask, this one shaped as a wolf. The standard ANBU ninjatõ, however, was not in its scabbard on the man's back. The ANBU carried the blade in his hand, letting it hang idly by his side. Shikamaru could almost feel the ANBU's eyes drilling into his own, even behind that expressionless ceramic mask.

"Have you seen a prisoner passing by here, kid?" the ANBU spoke, the voice deep and pushing, demanding an answer. Shikamaru swallowed unnoticably, shaping each word in his mind before he spoke. He needed to make this sound believable.

"A prisoner?" Shikamaru asked, lifting his gaze to the sky, as if he was thinking. "You mean that redhaired girl that ran past? Yeah, I think she ran towards the Wall." he said, pointing towards the closest part of the large stone wall surrounding Konohagakure. He could see it in the distance, tall and mighty, with people walking guard behind the crenellations. The masked man followed the direction of Shikamaru's finger, seemingly lost in thoughts. Deciding to push the chase party in the wrong direction, Shikamaru spoke again. "She seemed to make good speed. Are you sure she haven't gotten over the wall already?" he asked, and he could see the effect immediately. The man turned his head to regard him, muscles visibly tensing under the thin material of the grey cloth. He probably knew that the Sound girl was a very skilled Genjutsu user, and that she could very likely have fooled the men on the Wall. Shikamaru could almost see the seed of doubt growing inside the masked person. For a few moments, the man simply stood there, looking at the young Konoha chuunin. The seconds dragged themselves along ever so slowly, and Shikamaru was starting to wonder whether the ANBU had suspected anything. Then the masked man crouched down, ready to kick off in pursuit of the redhaired girl. Shikamaru was about to breathe a sigh of relief, when the man stopped, eyeing him again. The Nara's breath caught in his throat.

"Tell me," said the man, his body turning to face the young black-haired boy. "What is a shinobi doing back here lugging trash?" Shikamaru could feel the man's boring gaze on his forehead protector, which was placed in plain view around his own arm. Shikamaru cursed himself inwardly. The trash bag he was holding was large enough to cover the blood stain on his vest, but he had not thought about covering his forehead protector as well. Now he had to think up an excuse, and real fast too.

"I'm helping one of my academy student groups with their trash picking assignment." Shikamaru said slowly, keeping his voice normal as best as he could. The ANBU continued studying for a bit, putting Shikamaru even more on edge. He had no idea whether the man would believe him or not.

"I heard someone screaming, kid. Who was it?" the man pursued, facing Shikamaru fully, blade still in hand. Damn it, Shikamaru thought sullenly to himself. He had no answer to that question. He couldn't just pull one out from his slee...Wait a minute. Shikamaru looked down at his right hand. It was covered in crimson blood. Tayuya's blood. He had used it to hold around her when dragging her into the alley, covering her mouth with his left. Her shoulder wound had bled all over his hand, and at the moment he was very relieved for that fact. Shikamaru held up his right hand, letting the ANBU see the blood, while he balanced the heavy bag of trash with his left hand.

"That would be me." Shikamaru answered, making his voice as confident and casual as possible. "I cut myself on some glass. I'll need to go and get it checked later." he added, hoping the ANBU would accept his explanation. To his relief, the ANBU nodded briefly, before disappearing in a gust of green leaves. As far as Shikamaru could see, the masked man was heading straight for the Wall.

As he again was left alone, Shikamaru breathed out slowly. That was too close. But it was not over yet. With a heavy sigh, he squatted down and looked under the large trash bin. The redhead girl still lay there, looking almost like she was sleeping. It was the first time Shikamaru had seen her face look so peaceful. She almost looked like a nice girl. Had it not been for their current location, the amount of blood, and the wooden bolt sticking out from her shoulder, she might have looked more at home in a velvet bed. But Shikamaru knew very well what the girl was capable of, and he asked himself what he was actually doing saving her behind. He was as good as betraying his own village, and saving a girl which would not hesitate a second to slit his throat if he did not pay attention. And all because of his pride as a gentleman. Shikamaru sighed again, as he began pulling the girl out from under the bin, careful not to touch her wounds. How did Naruto do it? The blonde, loudmouth genin always made big promises, and managed to fulfill them too, just because it was 'his Ninja Way'. Now Shikamaru was going to stick true to his word too. He just hoped it wouldn't be his death.

He would have to deal with it now. He had made a choice, and he would have to carry it out to the end, no matter what the end would actually hold for him. And the first thing he had to do, was to get Tayuya to a place where he could treat her wounds without disturbances. The obvious and most logically sound choice for this was of course his own apartment. There would be no one there except for himself, apart from the odd occasion that his mother visited to see if he had everything he needed. He hoped she wouldn't visit today, of all days. His mother was a very bossy woman too, who always ordered his father around. What Shikamaru had often wondered, was why his father, being the same type of lazy-ass as himself, had chosen such a bossy and loud woman as his wife. Whenever he had asked, his father had smiled knowingly and said that he would understand why soon enough. Shikamaru sighed. The way it seemed, it looked like all chicks were bossy as hell, and that he would end up with one sooner or later. Another heavy sigh left his lips.

"God, I'm gonna end up like my dad."

There was just no way that he was getting out of this. Sighing for the third and final time, he bent down and lifted the girl up, carrying her in his arms. It would be the easiest way of carrying her, without worsening her wounds unnecessarily. He was careful not to touch the wounded areas as he scooped her into his arms, letting her lay against his chest. She felt warm, which surprised Shikamaru a little. From her general attitude, he had almost expected her to be cold as ice. As he hefted her into a comfortable position in his arms, her head slumped softly against his left upper arm. He looked down, seeing a sort of cute half-pout on the sleeping girl's lips. A lock of red hair lay characteristically between her eyes. A faint smile crossed Shikamaru's lips. The Sound girl was much more tolerable to be around when she was sleeping. At least then she wasn't threatening to rip his nuts off.

The journey back to his own apartment was thrilling than Shikamaru really wanted to experience. He had to keep to the empty streets, and more than once he had to dodge into a tight alley when hearing people coming too close for comfort. If someone saw him carrying around a bleeding, unconscious girl in prison garments, there would be lots of questions. You didn't need Shikamaru intellect to understand that fact. So he kept to the shadows, which after all was his true element. Every now and then he would stop, listening for the sign of ANBU before continuing. He hoped they would all have begun searching the forest outside Konoha by now, but he could not be certain. At the moment he stood leaning against a stone wall in a filthy alley, glancing around the corner. The girl in his arms was still unconscious, her head resting lightly against his arm like she had been doing the whole trip. Shikamaru looked down at her, his thoughts racing. What the hell was he doing?! He couldn't believe that he, the proclaimed genious of the younglings, was doing something so reckless and stupid as this. He could get in a whole lot of trouble for this. His eyes moved over the girl, settling on the familiar hat she wore. Then he suddenly noticed the metal instrument stuck into one of the ropes on the hat. His eyebrows rose about an inch. Where had she gotten that flute? At that moment, he realised how she had escaped. He sighed, looking down at the girl. She indeed was a dangerous individual, and yet he was saving her ass without thinking. He must be crazy.

"You are gonna be the death of me, troublesome woman."

(Scene change)

Far above the struggling couple, on a small rocky shelf between the faces of the first and the second Hokage, a mysterious figure was settled. A heavy, dark green hood was over his head, hiding everything except a few strands of black hair. The figure was sitting crosslegged on the small shelf, a pair of black binoculars pressed against his eyes. A wide grin spread on his face as he watched the scene unfolding, from Tayuya's escape to the Konoha chuunin carrying her through the Village. It was amusing, and a bit surprising. Lowering the binoculars, the figure revealed a pair of dark red eyes, filled with malice.

"Tell my Lord that things are getting...interesting." he said slowly, a tone of amusement in his voice, his words intended at the figure standing behind him. The second person hissed in reply, before disappearing in a poof of smoke. The cloaked figure smiled, before putting the binoculars back to his eyes, to watch the show unfold. Things were indeed getting very interesting.

(Scene change)

At long last, after a long trek through the village, the strange couple reached Shikamaru's apartment. It was on the second floor, in a large stone building of similar apartments. Shikamaru carried the unconscious girl quickly up the stairs. He wanted to get inside before she woke up. He had no doubt that she would begin displaying her expansive vocabulary once she woke up, and he would rather not that she made a fuzz outside. Using his left elbow, he managed to turn the doorknob to his apartment enough to get the door open. He then pushed the door fully open with his foot, allowing him to enter with his living burden. Once inside, he looked around. To be able to treat the girl efficiently, he needed to lay her down somewhere. The bed was out of the question, since he did not really fancy sleeping on bloodied bedsheets. Letting his eyes fall on the dark brown leather sofa on the opposite wall, he decided that it would be the best place. After all, leather was alot easier to clean than bed linen. Shikamaru walked over and slowly put the girl down on the sofa, careful not to put stress on her damaged legs. He could tell that the damages were severe, from the way her legs felt against his arm. He would have to work fast, if he was going to save the girl's legs. Luckily, he had at his disposal the Nara clan's secret healing technique, which his father had taught him. Shikamaru kneeled next to the sofa, in front of the girl's legs, and folded his hands. Chakra surged through his body, starting in the bottom of his chest and ending in his fingers. Forming the Tiger's seal, Shikamaru placed his fingers on Tayuya's broken leg.

"Kage Heifuku no Jutsu (Shadow Restoration Technique)." he whispered, releasing the chakra in his fingers. Dark shadows spilled from his fingers in long tendrils, slipping easily through the redhead's skin. This was one of the secret healing techniques in the Nara clan, one which was jealously guarded. Only members of the Nara could learn it, due to the element of Shadow. The technique basically used the thin tendrils of shadow to pull the bones back together and bind them, like internal bandages. The young boy closed his eyes, letting the shadows guide his senses. He could tell that it would be a real challenge. Tayuya's bones were broken and shattered into more pieces than he was sure he could handle, but he still had to try. The shadows wrapped around the bones, pulling them together and then tying them together. Sweat pooled on Shikamaru's forehead as he worked against the time. The bones had already begun to settle, and he had to make sure they grew correctly. Shikamaru opened his eyes, looking to the side, at the girl's peaceful face. He was exhausted from the amount of chakra he had used, and he suspected that Tayuya would not even appreciate it.

"You better thank me for this.."

At last, Shikamaru sat back, wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. It had taken about twenty minutes, but the girl's legs were finally healed. As long as she didn't walk for a few hours, they should be okay. With that part settled, he now turned his attention to the girl's other wounds. First and foremost amongst those was the crossbow bolt in her shoulder. Compared to the bruises and scratchmarks she had, this one was bleeding alot, and Shikamaru knew that the girl didn't have unlimited blood to waste. Rising to his feet, Shikamaru rolled the girl over on her stomach, making sure that the crossbow bolt was hanging over the edge of the dark leather sofa. Shikamaru placed his hand on Tayuya's back, holding her down while his other hand seized the wooden shaft. He tried pulling gently, but the wooden object resisted. He could feel the friction through the bolt. He sighed in irritation. Just perfect. From what he could tell, the metal-tipped bolt had lodged itself between the Sound girl's collar bone and shoulder blade, effectively trapping it. He would have to use force, and do it fast. Gripping the wooden bolt hard and at the same time pushing the girl down, he counted down from three. Three. Two. One..

Tayuya screamed out in pain as she awoke from the explosion of pain in her shoulder, and she could feel the foreign object being pulled forcefully out from between her bones. She was conscious again within a second, the pain pulsing strongly in her body. Filled with anger, she rolled around on the soft surface she was laying on, and came eye to eye with the same black-haired bastard that she had expected to see. There was just no mistaking the pineapple-shaped knot of hair.

Shikamaru sweatdropped as the girl awoke with a scream. In hindsight, he could probably have been more gentle when pulling the bolt out, but at least he had removed it from the girl's body. Looking at the girl's furious brown eyes, however, he realised that it would be scant consolidation to the raging Sound demon. He could clearly see the burning hatred in her eyes as their eyes met, her body tensing at his closeness. Tayuya opened her mouth fully, and Shikamaru cringed inside, awaiting the punishing tirade of words. Two simple words resonated again and again in his mind as he awaited the verbal onslaught.

_Oh crap..._

**To be Continued...**

Hands up those who think Shikamaru is in for a lot of trouble now :-D

I will start working on the next chapter as soon as possible, but I have a lot of tests in the coming week, so I don't know how long it will take. But I hope you will stick around for it :-)

Well, that is it from for this time. As always, applause to my darling Natasja for proofreading and spellchecking the story for me. You're the best baby! :-P

Haraio out.


	6. Chapter Six: Gratitude?

Guess what? I am still alive :-P Hehe, I haven't died or anything, although you might have thought so. I sincerely apologise for taking so long on this chapter. At least it didn't take a month, like the last one. Again, the reasons are many, but I think I can sum it up into two points:

- Exams are coming up, and I really need to focus on my schoolwork, leaving less time for writing. Although I really want to write, I am on my last year of Upper Secondary, and thus my grades really matter this year.

- I suck at this kind of writing. Namely, long chapters of character development, without killing, violence or lemons. At the same time, that kind of chapter is needed in this story, so I just have to grit my teeth and do 'em. I promise, when we get to the lemons and the killing, things will be updated faster, but for now just bear with me :-)

Once again, all honour goes to my Natasja, for being my proofreader and endless source of inspiration. Know that without her, this story would most likely have never made it past the opening lines :-P

Mandatory disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Shikamaru or Tayuya (though I do wish I did) :-P

**Chapter 6: Gratitude**

It was a nice day in the Village of Konohagakure. The birds were singing happily from their seats on branches and powerlines, filling the air with merry tones. The winged singers were basking in the light from the sun, which hung high on a cloudless blue sky. The glowing orange star filled the large village with warmth and light, which reflected in the mood of its inhabitants. The warm, pleasant fragrance of freshly baked bread spread out from one of the many small bakeries, drawing in hungry customers. Children were playing in the street, darting among the adults as they went along with their daily routines. Konoha, on a fine day like this, was the very epithomy of peacefullness.

Alas, not everything was so quiet and peaceful. If this had been a typical mediocre cartoon for children, some of the villagers might have noticed one hab building which jumped up and down erradically, while very colourful words spilled unhindered forth from wide-open windows. In reality, the building stood very still, and the windows were actually closed tight. Not that it hindered a trail of crude words from spilling through the glass.

"YOU FUCKING RETARDED SHITHEADED BASTARD!! WHAT THE BLOODY FUCKING HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" came the words, followed by a resounding 'smock' that made birds scatter in panic from every powerline within fifty metres of the building. A few nearby villagers turned their heads towards the sound, but they soon dismissed it as normal bickering between a loving couple. After all, teenagers these days sometimes had an expansive vocabulary.

Inside said hab building, in one particular apartment, Nara Shikamaru stared up at the ceiling. An irritated expression was on his face, but he did not move. Why had he even thought that the girl would show some form of gratitude? None of his encounters with the girl had given him the thought that she would be anything but trouble, and yet he had expected her to thank him? He must be stupid. Slowly, he lifted his hand to his face. He winced inwardly as his index finger touched the swollen skin right below his left eye. One thing was certain. That frail-looking girl, for her size, really threw some wicked punches. He could feel his eye swelling up, and even without seeing it he could tell that the skin around his eye was turning darker. The hard wooden floor against his back mocked him, gloating at his misery. Shikamaru tilted his head forward, looking at the redhead. She was still sitting on the sofa, glaring at him with her familiar, dagger-throwing brown eyes. She reminded him of a frightened animal, pushed into a corner. Cornered animals are the most viscious, he reminded himself. From what Shikamaru could see in his position on the ground, there was at least two metres separating him from the sofa. He sighed lightly and poked the bruised skin again, testingly. He winced against the slight pain. Really some nice gratitude he had received.

Tayuya was sitting on the brown leather sofa, maintaining her vicious, murderous glare towards the pineapple-head. From the corners of her vision, she looked at the rest of the room. It was a very mundane and fairly spacey apartment for a teenager, but that was hardly the point. Several questions repeated themselves in Tayuya's head. Why was she here? And where was 'here' anyway? _Is this where the fucker lives?_ Tayuya thought to herself, quenching a snort of disbelief. From his obvious lazy attitude, she expected a place as messy as Jirobou's meals, but the apartment was actually very clean and tidy. Turning her eyes to the right, Tayuya could see a small kitchen, separated from their current location by a four-feet tall counter. On the opposite side, on Tayuya's left, there were two doors; Tayuya guessed it has to be the bathroom and bedroom. Her brown eyes returned to the chuunin, who was still laying on the hard wooden floor, rubbing his left eye. A small smile crossed Tayuya's pink lips. "Weakling." she whispered to herself. She wondered why this weakling had brought her here.

Tayuya was really confused now. Before she had blacked out in the alleyway, she had just been waiting for the lazy bastard to hand her over to the authorities. She had believed that she would find herself waking up in a cold prison cell, back to all the rape and abuse she had experienced in the months since the failed mission. But no, she had woken up here. She didn't understand what was going on. Had that bastard saved her? Or was he looking for information? Tayuya nodded slightly to herself. That must be it. He wanted the location of Orochimaru-sama's base, Tayuya realised. The pineapple-haired bastard wanted to be the hero of the fucking hour. She eyed him. He hadn't moved yet. He seemed content with just laying there, and from what she knew of his lazy attitude, she had no doubts that he could stay there all day long. Tayuya growled softly, feeling a throbbing headache growing in her temple. There were just too many questions in her head, ones that she could not answer. How the hell did she end up here?

The last thing she could remember was being in the alley, with a flaring, mind-numbing pain in her shoulder. Which was also the first thing she remembered from waking up. Tayuya shuddered softly, drawing her eyes away from mentally shredding the younger boy on the floor for what he had done. The image of the metal tip sprouting bloodily from her shoulder was still fresh in her mind. She could almost feel it. Tayuya suddenly realised something. She couldn't feel it. The feeling of the foreign object in her shoulder was gone. She could no longer feel the wooden length grinding against her bones with every breath of her aching lungs. All that remained was the painful throbbing of air brushing against her open wound. Tayuya turned her eyes slowly towards her wounded shoulder. There was a lot of blood, she realised, but no bolt. The left side of her previously blue prison uniform was now crimson with her own blood. Just then did it strike Tayuya that she had lost a lot of blood and, judging by the warm feeling of liquid running over her skin, she was still bleeding. Carefully, Tayuya put her fingers to the grape-sized hole in her shoulder. She barely managed to suppress the hiss of pain that left her lips the moment her index finger contacted with the raw flesh of her wound. Gritting her teeth hard against the pain, she pushed two of her fingers inside the cavity left by the crossbow bolt, feeling her fingers turning slick with warm, crimson blood.

"You know, I don't think you should do that."

Though Tayuya hated herself for it, she did startle a little bit when Shikamaru spoke. His lazy, unenthusiastic voice slipped uninvited into her ear, grazing her mind with the simple words. Snarling, she turned her head towards the boy who was the very reason for her whole fucked-up situation.

"Did I ask for your fucking opinion, shithead?" she snapped angrily, irritated by the fact that he was trying to tell her how to treat her own body, especially considering that he only a few minutes earlier had not-so-fucking-gently pulled a sharp wooden bolt from her shoulder. In response to her cross reply, the blackhaired boy sighed and folded his hands behind his head, using them as a makeshift pillow as he looked up at the girl. Tayuya's chagrin grew as she saw his eyes still carrying the same lazy expression as before.

"No, I guess not." he admitted, his shoulders moving slightly in what Tayuya thought to be a shrug. "I just think you should get that wound patched up rather than testing how many fingers you can fit inside." he added, his eyes meeting hers evenly. Snarling at his complete passivity in face of her situation, Tayuya placed her hands on the sofa, motioning to get up. But once again, the dark-haired chuunin interrupted her before she could rise to her feet.

"I wouldn't do that." Even though he spoke completely calm and casual, Tayuya stopped in her tracks, something in his voice stopping her. His words carried weight, insisting that she remained seated. She did. She let her weight down on dark leather again, slowly. She glared at him, annoyed both at the boy and at herself for doing as he said. Seeing as she didn't rise up, the boy continued in the same lazy tone of voice: "Your legs are not completely healed yet. You should wait at least twenty minutes before you try to walk on them." he explained, matter-of-factly.

"Oh? And how the hell do you propose that I get myself 'patched up' then, fucker?" she snapped irritatedly. The bastard was really getting on her fringy nerves now. In response, Shikamaru sighed heavily before getting to his feet, his eyes still on Tayuya. She met his eyes with a hate-filled glare, a little proud of the black eye she had given him.

"I guess it can't be helped, then. I'll do it." Shikamaru said, his eyes studying the girl's wound. Slowly, he walked to one of the doors to Tayuya's left and disappeared inside for a minute. Tayuya could hear him shuffling things around and mumbling to himself. She shook her head slowly in exasperation, baring her teeth. _How did I end up with this retard?_

That very question was still on Tayuya's mind when Shikamaru came back a few moments later, carrying a roll of bandages and a white bottle. Tayuya eyed the strange bottle with not-so-discreet suspicion. The boy must have noticed, because in the next moment he muttered 'disinfectant' as a sort of answer to her unspoken question. Tayuya didn't say anything. She only scooted sideways when the boy leaned towards her, one knee on the sofa, his body facing her. With a kunai from his pouch, he quickly and effectively sliced away the shirt around her wound, to make it more accessible. The red-haired girl fought the impulse to pull away as the young chuunin began examining her wound. She knew very well what was coming, but she still winced slightly as a burning sensation struck from her wounded flesh. She gritted her teeth against the stinging pain, until she suddenly realised that the chuunin had stopped. Now he was just sitting there, studying her with his lazy eyes. Tayuya snarled under her breath, loud enough for the Konoha shinobi to hear. She turned her face fully towards him, glaring at him.

"What the hell are you waiting for? I don't need your fucking pity!" she snapped, electing a wince from the black-haired boy.

"Can you stop being so loud, troublesome woman?" Shikamaru said dryly, as he resumed his treatment of the girl's shoulder. Tayuya willed herself not to wince against the stinging sensation this time, but she did not cease her glaring at her 'saviour'. She was not only angry the boy, but also at herself. The black-haired idiot seemed to be able to irritate her without even trying. Well, now she would show him self-control. So, instead of spitting a string of curses at him, Tayuya instead responded with a few well-chosen words, ground through gritted teeth:

"Fuck you."

Shikamaru sighed as he began applying the bandages to the girl's bleeding shoulder. What had he gotten himself into? That question was constantly churning in his mind as he worked on the girl's wound. At least then he could focus more on what he was doing, and less on his own troublesome situation. The problem, however, with having an IQ of over 200, is that you can easily focus on two problems at the same time. So Shikamaru had a lot of time to think about his miserable situation. Sadly, he did not come up with any good solutions before he was done with the bandages. Shikamaru was no medical nin, but he knew the basics of treating a wound. He had to bandage the wound, and keep the bandages tight. Only by applying pressure with the bandages would the bleeding stop. He seemed to have managed that so far. From what he could tell, he had tied the would sufficiently tight for the bleeding to stop, although the bandages were still crimson with Tayuya's blood. Still, all in all he was pretty satisfied with his work. Of course, due to the location of the wound, he had been forced to tie the bandages under the girl's arm. Now he watched as she tried to move her arm, the bandage resting akwardly in her armpit.

"How does that feel?" he asked, already knowing that the reply would not be of the positive kind. He was right, of course.

"Gee, fucking great." Tayuya replied sarcastically, lifting her arm up and down irritatedly. "I've always wanted to have my arm sticking out to the side like a fucking puppet." Shikamaru sighed. Just as he had expected. There was just no gratitude to expect from the girl, even though he had probably saved her life. Not that he had expected any. He could still feel the throbbing around his left eye. His skin was swollen, that much he could tell. It seemed that would be all the gratitude he would receive from her. He drew a long breath through his nostrils, before letting it out in a sigh. It took a second before he noticed the abuse to the sensory organs in his nose. A grimace spread over his face, which didn't go unnoticed on the redhead. Her glaring brown eyes turned to him, her gaze asking him what the hell he was grimacing for.

"I think you need a shower." Shikamaru suggested slowly. A deafening silence filled the small living room. The tension was suddenly so thick that you could have cut it into slices with a kunai. Shikamaru sweatdropped. In hindsight, that was probably not the best way he could have put it. It reminded it of that one time he had told Ino that she was getting a little pudgy. She had not spoken to him for almost a week. Actually, that had been a pretty good outcome. Looking at the girl in front of him now, however, he realised that it was not the best thing he could have said to her. Tayuya's upper lip was twitching slightly, her eyes dangerous as she looked at him.

"Are you suggestion that I stink, shithead?" she snarled, her voice low and dangerous. Tayuya had never been a 'girly' girl, but even she had standards for her own personal hygiene. Of course, those standards had long since been passed. She had spent months in that stinking prison, without access to even clean water. Did he expect her to smell like fucking roses? She did not need him telling her about her own fucking hygiene. And just when she didn't think that he could get any stupider, he dared to open his mouth again.

"Yeah..."

_Smock._

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Tayuya slowly lifted her hand to her head, fingers curling around the black fabric. She pulled her cap off carefully, letting her medium length, red hair flow out behind her. She looked down at her hand. The hat was laying in her palm, her simple steel flute still stuck in one of the small ropes. Smiling slightly, she put the cap down on the small washing stand. She was standing in the small bathroom of Shikamaru's apartment, her reflection looking back at her from the square mirror above the sink. The cold, blue stone tiles felt smooth and soothing against her bare soles. The room was small and simply furnished, with only a toilet, a shower cubicle with sliding door, and a white counter with a few bottles of shampoo. There was dust on most of the bottles, Tayuya noted. Clearly they hadn't been used often. She snorted in irritation. How dared the lazy bastard call her stinky? Pot calling kettle black, by the looks of it. Well, Tayuya would at least not be smelling for very long.

Tayuya pulled the light blue prison shirt over her head, grimacing against the pain in her left shoulder which followed the akward movement, her bandages grinding against the wound.

"Fucking shit."

Casting a single glance at the bloodied rag in her hands, she threw the shirt into a corner with a bitter snort. She was never gonna use that again. The very sight of it reminded her off the months she had spent in that prison. The prison had left marks on her, she realised as she looked at her naked torso in the mirror. Her chest and stomach were covered in marks of violence and pain. Large blue bruises littered her pale skin, where she had been punched and kicked by the prison guards. Thin red lines on her breasts and stomach, where other prisoners had cut her with small blades, to shut her up while they raped her. The whole left side of her torso, from her bandaged shoulder to the rim of her blue prison pants, was caked in a thick layer of coagulating blood. Tayuya grimaced slightly at the sight. Damn, she had bled alot. She hated to admit it, but she would have been dead if the pineapple-haired bastard hadn't patched her up. The same thing could be said about her legs. Tayuya looked down at her legs. The pain was still there, resonating dully in her bones, but at least she could walk on them. The bastard had mentioned that it would take a few days before she could do anything more than a slow walk, but that her legs would heal nicely after that, as long as her chakra system was allowed to do its job. Tayuya snorted in irritation. That basically meant that she was stuck in this small apartment the next days. She didn't know if it was better or worse than possibly being killed while trying to escape the village. Probably better, she had to admit.

As her eyes returned to the mirror in front of her, Tayuya made a new, scary discovery. Sure, the marks from the abuse and violation she had suffered were bad. But the passive marks the long emprisonment had made on her were positively a lot worse, at least in Tayuya's opinion. She made a pained expression as she looked in the mirror. Fuck, she looked like a damn twig! Only now did Tayuya realise how skinny she was. Below her small mounds, her ribs were poking out under stretched, pale skin. Tayuya could count three clearly visible ribs on each side. She looked like those damn whores in the magazines Kidoumaru always used to nick from Kabuto. Her muscles, earned from years upon years of hard shinobi training and missions, were noticeably smaller. Her body was growing weaker. Tayuya gritted her teeth against the painful realisation, moistness building in her eyes. She could not believe how skinny she had become, and she didn't understand how she had not realised it earlier. It was just incredible.

Pushing back the tears, Tayuya glared defiantly into the mirror. There is nothing you can do about it now, she mentally scolded herself. Nothing good would come out of crying about her weakness. The only thing she could do, was to become stronger. Power was all that mattered, and if she had to spend a few days with the bastard to regain her power, then she would. After that, she would let him feel just how much she hated his sorry ass. A small smile spread over her pink lips as she mused about what she would do to him. The thought of revenge filled her with comfort. She would not be stuck in this place forever. Calmed by that thought, Tayuya slowly pulled the blue prison pants down. The skin on her legs were covered in patches of blue, indicating where her broken bones had cut off the flow of blood. She could sense the taint of chakra on her skin. The pineapple-headed bastard had somehow healed her legs, although Tayuya didn't understand how. Then again, she had never been a medical nin. She had never understood how healing worked. It didn't matter anyway. The important thing was that she had been healed, and that she would regain her power. One way or the other. Pleased with that, Tayuya stepped into the small shower cubicle, sliding the plastiglass door shut behind her.

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Shikamaru sighed softly. He had decided that he did not completely trust the girl yet. As such, he did not want her in the same bed as himself (not that he thought she would want it any more). She would probably beat him half to death if he even suggested it. Shikamaru did not really fancy more violence aimed at his being for today. Now his right eye was throbbing painfully too. Thus, he was at the moment busy with trying to clean the patches of dried blood from his poor leather sofa. Luckily, leather is pretty easy to clean; all you need is a towel and warm water. He was making good progress, and the crimson blood, now dry, was coming off pretty easily. However, there was quite a lot of it. He was surprised that the girl had any blood left in her body, considering how much she had bled in the alley and on his furniture. By all rights, she should barely have been alive. Shikamaru once again suspected that her well-being was in no small part due to her strength of will.

"The mind is the strongest weapon." Shikamaru mused quietly to himself, as he scrubbed the blood from the dark brown sofa pillows. His sensei, Sarutobi Asuma, would always say that when they played Shogi or Go together. For Shikamaru, that saying was very true, seeing as his most important weapon in a battle was to think quickly and analyze the opponent's weakness. But he now understood that those words were true in regards to the redhead as well, although in a slightly different way. He could not really imagine what the redhead must have gone through to obtain such a strong will. Did he really want to know?

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

An audible moan escaped Tayuya's pink lips as the warm water hit her straight in the face. She didn't recoil from the sensation, instead welcoming the purifying feeling against her closed eyelids. God, how many months had it been since she had felt something so lovely, so heavenly? The gentle spray of water stood straight against her face, flowing down her naked body, making her body tingle. She could almost feel all the layers of dirt and dried semen being rinsed off her skin. She smiled against the stream of warm water, lost in the heavenly sensation. She could feel every single, delightful drop running over her pale skin. She could feel it running through her red hair, rinsing it of the dirt and grime from the prison. The water on the floor turned reddish brown with dirt and dried blood. Gradually, the water turned clear as the filthy water disappeared in the sewage system. Tayuya felt clean, for the first time in at least three months. It was an indescribable feeling. Tayuya had not imagined she would ever feel the touch of warm water again. It felt so wonderful. She was smiling wide as she stood under the warm stream, letting the heavenly drops flow over her naked shape.

How long she just stood there, unmovingly, she did not know. It could have been mere minutes, it could have been hours. Either way, it was pure bliss to the young girl. Smiling, her eyes closed, Tayuya lifted her hand and turned the knob. Immediately, the water ceased flowing, shrinking into a trickle. The last drops made small splashes as they hit the inch of water on the shower floor, and right away Tayuya felt chilly. Quickly, she grabbed a bottle of shampoo from the shower tray. Tayuya lifted the yellow bottle up to her face. 'Body and Hair' it said. Tayuya stiffled a snort. As she would have expected from the lazyass, finding it too 'troublesome' to use two separate mixtures for hair and body. Not that Tayuya minded at the moment, because right now she wanted nothing else than turning the lovely, warm water back on. Hurriedly, she squeezed a gracious amount of the thick, yellow liquid into her hand. She almost blurted out a surprised laugh. Of course, it _had_ to smell pineapples! Tayuya grinned at the irony in regards to the bastard's haircut, and she half-wondered if her own hair would turn out the same way when she used his shampoo. Throwing the amusing thought aside, Tayuya applied the shampoo to her hair. Her fingers eased their way through the crimson strands, roughly unlocking any knots of hair. Tayuya's head bobbed gently back and forth, as her hands rubbed the yellow shampoo into her neck-long hair. She could feel the foam bubbling between her fingers, a sensation she had completely forgotten during her long prison stay. It felt familiar, pleasant, as if welcoming her back to the civilised world. Tayuya smiled, and squeezed another handful of shampoo into her palm. This she began spreading all over her naked body, her pale skin becoming covered in white foam. Finally, Tayuya turned the knob again, and the warm water once again flowed over her shape, electing a delighted moan from her. She could feel the water running rapidly over her skinny body, washing away all the foam and leaving her skin shining in the bathroom lights.

Regretfully, Tayuya stepped out of the shower cubicle, already feeling the delightful warmth leaving her skin, making small goosebumps pop up all over her skin. The warmth of the shower still hung in the small room, but Tayuya still felt cold. The redhead shivered slightly, and grabbed a towel from a small stack on the counter. The cotton felt good and soft against her skin, and Tayuya closed her eyes calmly as she began drying off her body. She couldn't remember being so calm since...ever. The white cotton towel tickled lightly as it rubbed over her nipples, sucking up the water from her skin. The towel moved slowly down her body, giving her stomach and legs the same treatment. Finally, she swirled the towel through her hair, drying her flame-coloured hair properly. Gazing into the mirror, she smiled slightly. Sure, the cuts and bruises were still there, and she was still skinny as hell, but at least she was clean. The blood and dirt was gone, and her pale skin looked brighter and softer. Of course, she now smelled like pineapple, but she could live with it. Probably. Stifling a yawn, she studied her own naked body in the mirror.

As she stood there in front of the counter, Tayuya realised something. She had no clothes to wear. Her prison uniform lay in a blood-stained heap in a corner, and she did not really fancy putting it back on, not when she felt so clean (not that she would have done it either way, not in a million years). So that left her with only one option, not that it was a cheerful prospect. She would have to borrow some clothes. Tayuya grimaced. This would be very akin to begging. Still, she did not really fancy walking around naked. Swallowing her pride, Tayuya walked over to the door and opened it a tiny inch, concealing her body behind the oak door. Through the slit, she could see the pineapple-haired bastard over by the sofa. By the looks of it, it seemed like he was folding out a blanket over the brown leather couch.

"Hey shithead," Tayuya called, widening the door opening enough for her to stick her head out. "I want some clothes, right now." In response to her command, the blackhaired boy simply turned his head and pointed towards the base of the door. Puzzled, Tayuya lowered her gaze. There, right outside the door, she spotted a small stack of clothes. Tayuya scowled, annoyed that the bastard had thought the same thought as her, before she had. Snatching the stack of clothes, Tayuya pulled it through the slit and slammed the door soundly shut.

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Shikamaru concealed a smile as the door to the bathroom swung open, revealing the now-clothed girl who was standing in the doorway. Despite himself, Shikamaru felt his eyes drawn inexorably towards her. Her short, red hair hung down, now set free from the cap in her hand. The colour of her hair was much brighter and clearer now, a beautiful cardinal colour that framed her scowling face. A single, characteristic lock of hair hung down between her eyes, tilting slighty to the left. Her lips were pushed forward in a slight pout. It was very clear to Shikamaru that the Sound girl did not enjoy wearing _his_ clothes, though in his opinion they fit her pretty well. Tayuya was wearing a black shirt and a pair of blue jeans. The shirt was actually one of his old shirts, a low-collared, short-sleeved one. Printed on the front was a large, childishly grinning skull, with the words 'Lazy for Life' written in big letters under it. The shirt did not fit him anymore, but he had made a guess that it would fit the slimmer Tayuya. As it turned out, his guess was correct. It fit a little tightly over her chest, he could tell. Not that he was complaining though, as the shape of the girl's appendages had been completely hidden in her old clothes. Likewise, the tight jeans also brought out her female shape, showing signs of womanhood in the slight curves of her hips and thighs. In his humble opinion, these clothes suited her very well.

"What the hell is this?"

Shikamaru sighed. Clearly, Tayuya was not of the same opinion. The girl was looking down at her shirt with a, mildly spoken, sceptical gaze, her fingers pulling testingly on the fabric. Shikamaru had to admit, the shirt was maybe a little childish, but it was the only one he could find.

"Those are clothes, like you as-" Shikamaru stated dryly, but he was duly interrupted.

"Yeah yeah, I know what I asked for." Tayuya snapped irrately, cutting his obvious statement off with a sharp wave of her hand. She walked over to him, her scrutinizing eyes turning to the blanket and pillow on the dark leather sofa, arranged as a makeshift bed. How cute. A slight smile crossed the girl's pink lips, her eyes casting an unusual humorous glance towards the boy at her side. She was very proud of what she had done to his eyes. He now looked very similar to a raccoon, which in Tayuya's opinion fit him very nicely.

"I assume you will chivalriously take the sofa, shithead?" she joked. Shikamaru couldn't help but smiling slightly too, as he turned his head towards the girl, rolling his eyes at her remark.

"You wish, troublesome woman."

Tayuya chuckled and punched the bastard in the shoulder.

"I knew it, all that gentleman-talk of yours is just bullshit." she said mockingly, turning her body quickly to face him, lifting her hand to poke him hard in the chest. Suddenly, the world felt like it had turned upside down. Tayuya's stomach lurched, and her legs buckled under her. Black spots danced before the girl's eyes, and her sense of balance went completely to hell. She knew it had to come. Just too much had happened in such a short time. Her body was giving up on her, shutting her down. She had spent too much energy, and lost a lot of blood. Tayuya knew that she was losing consciousness, but she didn't really mind, strangely enough. In the past, she had always been wary when sleeping, ready to spring up any second. But somehow, this time she knew she would be safe. Tayuya closed her eyes and let herself drift into the black void of unconsciousness, completely exhausted, a small smile formed on her lips. The last thing she felt before she blacked out, was the feeling of hitting something soft.

Shikamaru had almost no time to react as the girl suddenly fell forward, right towards him. He had the fraction of a second to debate with himself what to do. He could of course let the girl smash into the wooden floor, but that would probably make her pissed, as well as most likely furthering her already serious injuries. So there was really no debate. There was only one thing he could do, as a man. Shikamaru dropped down on his knees, catching the girl against his chest as she fell. Her head slumped down on his shoulder, and he could hear her soft breath. Good. He had actually been a little worried, but it seemed like she had only passed out from exhaustion. Shikamaru sighed softly.

"What a drag..." he whispered softly, both to himself and the unconscious girl. He sat very still, on his knees, feeling Tayuya's warm body pulsing against his own. He could feel the slow rhytm of her heart against his chest, hear her quiet breath next to his ear. His arms embraced the girl, wrapping around her back and holding her close to his chest. Although it was troublesome, he actually didn't mind sitting like this. It felt nice. The slowly setting sun shone through his livingroom window, bathing them in orange light. Shikamaru smiled slightly, and slowly began standing up, lifting the girl up in his arms for the second time today. He put her very gently down on the sofa, and pulled the thin blanket over Tayuya's thin frame. Shikamaru straightened, and looked down at the girl now in his care.

What had he really been thinking when he saved her? Had he even considered that he was betraying his own village? He had no idea why he had done it. It had just felt completely right to save the girl. And as he looked down at the unconscious redhead, that thought was only strengthened. He had done the right thing. He was sure of it. He smiled. She looked so peaceful laying there, blanket reaching up to her chin, her mouth half open and a quiet snore erupting from her lips. She almost looked cute. Shikamaru lifted his hand, running it through his short, black hair. He felt really akward, for some reason. Quickly, he leant down and planted a light kiss on the girl's forehead.

"Sleep well, Tayuya..." Shikamaru muttered, half to himself, as he turned his back to the sofa and walked towards his own bedroom, completely missing the small, satisfied smile spreading over the sleeping girl's lips.

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

As the waning sun settled on the horizon, and the Village of Leaf descended into the darkness of night, no one noticed a lone figure, settled mysteriously on the roof opposite the hab block. Crimson eyes glinted dangerously in the weak moonlight, and unruly dark hair flickered in an unfelt breeze. Thin lips pulled back in a malicious grin, showing rows of sharpened teeth. The figure had been watching the entire incident, and truth to be told he was getting very curious on the situation. His mission could wait a few more days. He wanted to see how this would develop. With a low, cruel chuckle, the shadowy figure brought two fingers to his lips, and disappeared in a flash of darkness.

**To be Continued...**

Yes, the scary person is still there :-P

Phew, that is one more chapter done. The next one will be up as soon as I finish it. How long it will take, I don't know. Exams are coming up, but I will try my best to not make you wait more than a month. Please bear with me :-)

Haraio out.


	7. Chapter Seven: Dreams and Questions

Hello one and all :-)

I finally got around to finish the 7th chapter of this fanfic, amidst school work, exams, Russ (Norwegian graduate students) celebration and lots of other stuff. It took me quite a while to finish, I realise, and I apologize for this fact. The truth is this chapter took a lot of thinking from my side to get it just the way I wanted.

This chapter is a little short compared to the other chapters. Not short in physical sense, but in the sense that there's not much 'action'. The contents of this chapter will become more appearant as the story progresses, and a few chapters in the future you might go back, read it again and say "Oh, so that's what it meant.". At least that's what I hope XD I'm trying to give a few hints of foreshadowing, without giving too much away too early. I dunno if I'm successful, though :-)

As always, my girlfriend Natasja is my faithful proofreader and endless source of inspiration :-)

Hehe, now I'm talking and talking and talking again, when I know that you really just want to get on with the story. I'm sorry, we'll get to it right now :-)

Disclaimer: I still do not own Naruto, though that doesn't mean I'm not trying... ;-)

**Chapter 7: Dreams and Questions**

It was quiet. Too quiet. The very absence of natural sound was deafening in Tayuya's ears. There was no rustle of dark green leaves, or swooshing from the faint wind caressing them. No birds were singing merry tunes from the branches far above. Tayuya could not even hear her own breath. The imagined noise of thoughts was gone too, as was the steady beating of her heart. The world was utterly, completely silent. Tayuya felt like screaming, but she knew her cries would not shatter the void that surrounded her. She knew what was happening. She knew what would come. Tayuya knew perfectly well that it was only a dream, but it still scared the living shit out of her.

The setting was eerily familiar to her, simply because she had been having the same nightmare the night before too. She lay on her back in thick, brown mud, stark naked, her pale skin glinting with moistness. Above her, heavy branches shut out all but the faintest rays of sunlight. The mud felt cold against her bare skin, but the sensation was weak, as if dulled by her own senses. Tayuya shuddered as she sat up, feeling the weak sensation of cold mud running wetly down her back. The dark slush clung to her skin and hair as she shakily got to her feet, more mud wrapping heavily around her naked ankles with a wet gurgle. With wide brown eyes, Tayuya looked around, although she already knew exactly what to expect. All around her, as far as her eyes could reach, there was a forest. But it was no ordinary forest. Every single tree looked exactly the same. Every dying branch, every dark green leaf, every small hole in the trunk was an exact copy of the neighbouring tree. All the trees stood in ranks, rows of identical trunks stretching into the horizon, in every direction. The unnatural image grated on her mind like a dull razor, insanity lapping at the very edges of her vision. Tayuya wanted to cry, to bang her fists against the trunks. She did not want to experience this again.

Right on cue, as she had expected, Tayuya felt the subconscious, alarming feeling of gazes drilling into her back. Tayuya swallowed heavily. She already knew exactly what would be behind her. She would turn around, that much was certain. But yet she still hesitated, wanting to delay the inevitable as long as possible. Finally, though, she couldn't help but turn around, despite every cell in her body screaming at her not to. What she saw as she turned around, filled her with dread, even if she knew beforehand. Four dark figures reached out for her with skeletal hands. Their grey faces where devoid of any distinguishable facial features, except a wide-open, slobbering mouth, filled with rows of yellow, dagger-like teeth. Tayuya could feel their leering gazes, despite the lack of any visible eyes on their blank faces. The four figures were dreadful, their horrifying visage shaking Tayuya to her very bones. She stumbled backwards, already turning to run away, like she had done the night before. But this time, Tayuya was stopped by a cold, bony hand seizing her shoulder. The feeling of the strong grip shocked Tayuya, making her gasp silently. This was not how this dream was supposed to unfold! She was supposed to run away until she woke up!

It was like a numbing cold sunk into her body, into every cell and every bone. Other skeletal hands seized her arms and legs. Tayuya tried to fight back, but it was a half-hearted attempt. It was as if her body would not submit to her will. Her every movement felt heavy and cumbersome, as if her legs had suddenly turned to stone. Tayuya could do nothing but struggle weakly as the four figures pulled her down on the ground. The Sound kunoichi was dragged down on her back, the four figures holding her arms and legs, spreading her out on the soaked ground. Cold mud squelched soundlessly against Tayuya's skin as the disgusting creatures pushed her down into the mud, while snapping at eachother with their drooling maws. Tayuya squeezed her eyes shut, wanting the terrifying nightmare to end as soon as possible. She wanted to wake up, to find herself in her bed. Tayuya shut her eyes tighter, sinking deeper into the darkness, finding comfort in the black void.

Suddenly, there was a bright light. It penetrated through her shut eyelids with ease, driving away the darkness of her mind. Tayuya opened her eyes wide in surprise, staring straight up into the source of the light. Far above her, between the heavy branches of the trees around her, hung a bright, shining fog. Tendrils of mist swirled slowly around the center of the cloud, floating maybe twenty metres above the soggy ground, directly over Tayuya. For a second Tayuya sincerely believed the apperance of the cloud was a good thing. After all, it was shining like the sun, and her attackers cringed away from the bright light in terror. However, they did not let go of her limbs, and slowly, they bowed their heads to the muddy ground. Tayuya pulled her eyes reluctantly away from the cloud above her, and looked at the four figures holding her down. The were kneeling, their skeletal hands still holding her arms and legs. Tayuya could see them shuddering faintly, their featureless faces downcast in subservience. Slowly, Tayuya's eyes left the kneeling creatures and returned to the cloud, only to realise that the fog was swirling faster and faster. It begun to thicken and take shape, and Tayuya gasped soundlessly. Slowly but steadily, the fog condensed into a long metal blade, probably longer than Tayuya herself, and as white as snow. It looked like an oversized meat cleaver, with a thick handle as long as Tayuya's leg. But the most frightening thing was that the blade was pointing straight down at her.

Tayuya screamed against the void, thrashing wildly against the creatures holding her down, but it was like all strength had drained from her body. She could not even budge the kneeling figures an inch, and in the end she had to lay still on the ground and watch as the blade descended towards her. She could not even close her eyes. Something forced her eyes to stay open, inexorably fixed on the large blade which fell tip-first towards her stomach.

Suddenly, the silent void shattered like glass, the whole world exploding back into noise. In the far distance, there was a long, wailing sound. It was a wolf's howl. Her ears accustomed to the silence, Tayuya startled at the unusually loud sound. The four wretched figures holding her limbs reacted too, instantly lifting their heads, sniffing in the air like dogs, now-audible hisses erupting from their broken throats. The one holding Tayuya's right leg barely had the time to scream in terror before a spear of darkness scewered through its upper torso. The mass looked almost like a tentacle, twisting and snapping from between the trees. It was completely black, like darkness given physical form, and Tayuya watched in horror as the screaming creature dissolved rapidly into nothingness. The other three creatures let go of Tayuya and leapt at the black tentacle that had killed their companion, but they fared little better. The dark appendage slashed them all apart, leaving them to dissolve in mid-air. With a horrified expression on her face, Tayuya tried crawling backwards through the mud, away from the carnage, but she suddenly realised that the white sword was still heading for her. The massive blade shot straight towards her like a bullet, and the last thing Tayuya saw was the dark tentacle throwing itself in between to save her...

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Tayuya's brown eyes shot open, wild from the frightening nightmare. Her breath came in short gasps, and the Sound girl could feel the thin white sheets tangling tightly around her body, moist with her own warm sweat. Slowly, the redhead pushed herself up on her hands, looking around. Of course, now she remembered that she was actually in the pineapple-head's apartment. Tayuya snorted in irritation. _Better than the prison cell, I suppose. _she thought irately, as she kicked the blanket off her lithe figure. Due to the medical state of her legs, the sharp movement only earned her a painfully stinging sensation down her calf. Tayuya gritted her teeth. She really needed to start remembering that her legs were injured. If she damaged them more, it would only mean that she would have to stay in this shitty apartment longer. If there was one thing Tayuya was certain about, it was that she would not stay here a second longer than she had to.

Using her hands to push the blanket away, Tayuya slowly sat up, letting her feet drop slowly to the floor. The wood felt nice and warm against her bare skin. As her mind registered the warmth against her soles, Tayuya realised that the sun was shining, a calm yellow light bathing the wooden boards. The sun was shining brightly through the window at an angle, the life-giving rays warming her pale skin. Tayuya was puzzled. The last thing she could remember clearly, was the world collapsing in on itself, and she knew that the sun had been descending at that time. _Have I really been sleeping that long?_ Tayuya thought to herself, more than a little amazed. Due to her troubled past, Tayuya had never been a heavy sleeper. You could almost say that she slept with one eye open, from her ability to be wide awake in an instant. It had saved her countless times, not only from attacks on her life but also sexually based assaults, from friend and foe alike. She had never slept as heavy as this before.

"Fuck, I'm getting weak." Tayuya chuckled bitterly to herself, as she stretched her arms into the air, stirring her stiff muscles into action. She could almost feel the blood rushing back into her arms and legs. The sofa wasn't the most comfortable place she had slept (but only just), and yet she had slept so long. Tayuya closed her eyes softly, her mouth opening unvoluntarily in a wide yawn. Her content face suddenly twisted into a grimace of disgust as the sharp miasma from her own armpits slipped uninvited into her nostrils. Damn it. Tayuya turned her head to the side and glared back at the dark leather sofa, which was still covered in the white bedsheets she had hurled aside. She had been sweating, all right. She could feel the black, tight-fitting shirt sticking wetly to her skin. Her legs were tingling, drops of warm sweat running down her legs, under the blue jeans the pineapple-head had given her. The nightmare had really frightened her, she realised. Tayuya had never been a jumpy person, and it took alot to shake her. But now she was almost shaking, and she hated the fact. The nightmare had touched something deep in the back of her mind, something she could not understand or grasp. It was as if the clue was hanging right in front of her eyes, but she could just not focus her eyes enough to see it. It was infuriating. With an angry snort, Tayuya dropped her arms and began walking for the bathroom. She really needed a shower now. Not only to get off the smell, but also to clear her mind for the day. It was only a nightmare, after all. What harm could it do her? Tayuya had always faced anything and everything alone. That was why she was the strongest kunoichi alive. She smiled. It would take more than a blond sand whore and half a dozen trees to kill Tayuya of the Sound.

With her mind still groggy from just waking up, Tayuya couldn't really be faulted for not wondering where her 'saviour' was at this point in time. Somewhere in the back of her mind a tiny voice might have asked the question, but it was drowned out by the rest of Tayuya's mind, which was only focussed on reaching the bathroom. Tayuya really wanted a shower now. The heavenly feeling from yesterday had only left her longing for more, and she could not wait to have the pleasently warm water running over her body again. After spending so many months in prison, Tayuya was not content with being filthy again. Tayuya reached the bathroom door in a few seconds, and twisted the handle open, another sleepy yawn pushing itself up her throat. Her eyes squeezed themselves shut, as her open mouth tried to force more oxygen down to her lungs. With her eyes closed, Tayuya completely missed the other presence in the room.

"Good morning Tayuya."

Tayuya's brown eyes shot open as the slow, unenthusiastic voice slipped into her ears. The surprise made her choke on the air she had inhaled, and she coughed loudly as she backpedaled a few steps. In front of her stood the black-haired chuunin, looking at her with lazy curiousness. He was wearing nothing at all, except for a lime-green towel wrapped around his waist, covering his privates. His black hair hung down to his chin, the water dripping from the strands of hair shining in the light. One of his hands was at his side, holding the green towel up, while the other ran slowly through his wet hair as he looked at the redhead in front of him. Obviously, he felt as awkward as Tayuya would have felt, if she hadn't been so shocked.

"Wh-what the hell?!" Tayuya exclaimed loudly, her heart still thumping loudly from the surprise. Her back was against the half-open door, one hand still on the doorknob while the other hand pointed shakingly at the nearly-naked boy in front of her. "Haven't you learned how to fucking lock the door?!" she accused, certain that this clumsy situation was somehow the boy's fault. Nara Shikamaru simply raised an eyebrow as he looked at her, seemingly not at all affected by her shouting.

"...Says the girl who suddenly barges into someone else's bathroom?" Shikamaru said, a slight smile crossing his lips as he watched the girl's reaction. A pink colour immediately spread over Tayuya's cheeks, and her lower lip quivered, taken aback by his words for a moment. Then she took an angry step towards him, her right index finger hitting his chest.

"You better not be trying to say this is my fault, asshole.." Tayuya grated, trying to regain some dignity despite her flaring cheeks giving her away. She would not give this bastard the satisfaction of being correct. She opened her mouth to continue, but Shikamaru was faster.

"Do you need to use the shower, Tayuya? You smell like.." At this point Shikamaru cut himself off abruptly, noticing the dangerous edge that appeared in the redhead's eyes. Shikamaru clearly remembered what she had done the last time he had said anything about her personal hygiene. The skin around his eyes was still sore from the punches she had given him, and he did not really want more ill-tempered violence aimed at himself. So he wisely shut up, and watched the girl carefully. Tayuya glared hatedly at him, but said nothing. Instead she simply nodded sourly in response to his question. Shikamaru sighed softly. He really did not understand girls.

"I'll be done in a minute or two." Shikamaru stated, feeling his wet hair with his free hand. "If you need to get out of those clothes, you can find some new ones in my room." Tayuya did not respond with words, only with a sour nod as she turned and exited the room, slamming the door soundly shut behind her. Shikamaru sighed again, heavily this time, before he removed the lime-coloured towel from around his waist and began drying his hair. Why did all girls have to be so troublesome?

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Tayuya had only just closed the wooden door behind her, before she punched the nearby wall in a fit of anger. Her eyes squinted shut as she tried to stall the fury she felt inside. She was so angry at herself. Again and again she punched the wooden wall, letting out her anger. Why the fuck was she blushing like this? Was she feeling like this just because she had burst in on the almost-naked pineapple-headed fucker? Tayuya had seen males naked countless times over the last eleven years of her life, and every single one had raped her or tried to. Why would this bastard be any different? Tayuya was certain that it would only be a matter of time before he made his move on her. She snarled as she walked towards the door to Shikamaru's bedroom. Well, if he did, she would rip his nuts off with her bare hands!

Despite the anger she felt both against herself and the chuunin, Tayuya hadn't been able to help but notice something. She had tried to look away, but her eyes had still taken in the facts: The Konoha chuunin had muscles. Sure, he was not as muscular as for example Kimimaro, but still more-so than she had expected from a lazy bastard like him. She had clearly seen a visible four-pack on his flat stomach, and well-toned biceps and... _No!_ Tayuya shook her head violently, clearing out the strange and unwelcome thoughts from her head. Why the fuck was she even thinking like that?! It didn't make any sense. Her mind was in turmoil, and she forgot completely about punching the wall as she reached out her hand for the doorknob.

The sight that met Tayuya when she opened the door to the chuunin's bedroom, was not one she expected. Well, if it had been a few days earlier, she would have suspected it, but not after seeing how tidy the living room was. There were clothes everywhere on the floor, so that Tayuya in places could not even see the wooden floor below. It was as if someone had thrown an exploding tag inside a wardrobe. Tayuya shook her head slowly in disbelief, staring at the mess in front of her. It was totally beyond her how this guy could keep the room behind her so tidy it almost hurt, and the room in front of her so fucking messy.

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

With a deft and familiar hand movement, Shikamaru grabbed his drying black hair and tied the white string around it. After using both hands to tie the final knot, he looked in the mirror. Behind his head, a pointy ponytail was sticking up. He had always wondered what made the hair stand up and look like a pineapple like it did, when all logic told him that the hair should be hanging down. He would have to ask his dad one day, since the same seemed to apply to the older Nara's hair. Shikamaru would have asked for advice on his current situation too, if it was not for the fact that he did not know how his dad would react. After all, it was not everyday matters hiding a dangerous prisoner in your own home. Until he could find someone who would be able to help him, he would have to deal with the flame-haired kunoichi himself.

Shikamaru turned his head towards the door, a wondering expression slipping over his features. While on the subject of the Sound girl, she had looked distressed, mildly spoken, when she entered the room. Her clothes had been sticky with sweat, Shikamaru could tell, and he wondered what could have stressed up the girl like that. Whatever it was, it must have been pretty bad. He suddenly remembered the morning before, when he had come to her cell for the medical checkup. She had been screaming and twisting in her sleep when he had entered. Had she been having nightmares just now too? Shikamaru's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Nightmares in shinobi were often sign of mental or emotional trauma, or other deep-laying issues. There was no way he could know how it would affect the already-troublesome girl, but Shikamaru knew that he would have to keep an eye on her. Even if it was a drag.

After Shikamaru finished drying himself, he put on some fresh clothes which he had placed on the counter before the shower. Pulling a dark green t-shirt over his head, Shikamaru walked out of the bathroom. Turning his head to the right, he saw the back of a dark, sweaty t-shirt, instantly recognising it as Tayuya. She was still standing in the door opening. Breathing out softly, Shikamaru walked up behind the redhead. She did not turn around when he approached, but the visible tensing of her muscles acknowledged his presence. Tilting his head to the side, he looked over Tayuya's shoulder.

"What are you doing?" he asked, although he was pretty sure what she was staring at. It had been a while since the last time he cleaned in his bedroom. In response to his words, the red-haired girl turned her head to the side, watching him with a single brown eye.

"I am trying to contemplate how the fuck you can live in here." the girl answered with a brief snort, her eye once again turning away from him to scrutinize the mess on the floor. "Seriously, even that fat fucker Jirobou wasn't this messy..!" she exclaimed, a hint of anger in her voice. Her shoulders were rising up and down, slowly, speaking of barely-controlled emotions. Shikamaru said nothing. He did not know who she was talking about. Maybe a teammate. Now that he thought about it, there had been a... fat person on Tayuya's team. Chouji had faced off against him, and killed him, nearly dying himself in the process. Shikamaru watched Tayuya's back, carefully. She probably knew that her teammates were all dead, and that they would not come and save her. He didn't know to which degree she cared about them, but it was clear to him that she was affected by the loss to some extent.

Tayuya gritted her teeth in defiance, her head turned away from the chuunin behind her. She did not want him to see the salty tears that threatened to build up in her brown eyes. God, why was this happening? Tayuya had never cared much about her former teammates, but now the thought of them brought tears to her eyes. Was it because she was all alone now? Was it because no one had come to save her? No, she would not have been saved either way. Tayuya knew that shinobi who could not free themselves, were useless to Orochimaru. She and her squadmates had more than once vitnessed Orochimaru torturing and killing his own subordinates, who had been freed from imprisonment by others. It did not look pleasant. Not at all. That was not the way Tayuya would go. _I will free myself, with my own strength!_ Tayuya ensured herself. She would not fail. All that she needed to do, was to survive her stay with the pineapple-head until healed, then make her escape. As for the pineapple-head, she would get her revenge on him before leaving. A small smile crossed her lips at the thought. He would regret ever meeting her.

Tayuya suddenly remembered that the person in question was still standing behind her. From his awkward shifting of his feet, it was obvious that he was wondering what she was thinking about. Tayuya cleared all the thoughts of revenge and long-dead teammates from her head. She lifted her hand quickly, using the back of her palm to wipe the moistness from her eyes before she spoke.

"I need some clothes, bastard.." she said, her voice low and emotionless, not much more than a whisper. With strength of will, she managed to keep her voice steady as she vocalized the words.

Though the redhead girl had hoped her moment of weakness would go unnoticed, the black-haired boy behind her had caught every movement. Shikamaru did not know what the girl could be thinking, but to him it definately seemed like she was crying. For a moment he debated whether he should place his hand on her shoulder and try to comfort the Sound girl. But, if he did that, he suspected that the girl would turn violent again. And he really did not want to have another black eye. The chuunin shrugged, breathing out a silent sigh. This situation really was troublesome.

After a few moments, he decided that the best course of action would be to simply pretend like he had not seen Tayuya's hand movement, or heard the shaking of her voice. He would just get her the clothes, like she had asked for, and stick to keeping an eye on her for more surfacing emotions. Shikamaru motioned to move to one side, and Tayuya wordlessly shuffled to the other side, letting him slip past.

Shikamaru had to admit it; his bedroom was a little less clean than the living room. The reason the living room was so clean was very simple; he just refrained from making any mess there. His mother visited his apartment from time to time to check on his well-being, and she was the kind of woman who wanted everything to shine like a new-polished floor. Which was why Shikamaru never let her into the bedroom, since he had long ago given up on keeping that particular room clean. Things just seemed to mess themselves in there. His simple wooden bed was the only thing in the room that was not covered in clothes, scrolls, or other items. The obvious reason for that was that he, of course, had pushed all the things obstructing his bed down on the floor.

The Nara boy moved quickly and nimbly across the floor, abstaining from stepping on any of the various items of clothing or scrolls that littered the wooden panels as he made his way to the wardrobe. Once there, he picked out a t-shirt and a pair of long shorts from the shelves of the dark oak wardrobe, having noticed the girl's obvious distaste about wearing tight-sitting pants. Shikamaru didn't really understand her attitude towards the clothes; from his experiences with Ino and Sakura, they would always wear tight-sitting clothes around Sasuke, no doubt to try and tempt the Uchiha. Even after Sasuke had left for the Sound Village, the girls would still wear such clothing. Then again, Tayuya was definately different than other girls Shikamaru had met, in other aspects. So why would this be otherwise?

Just as Shikamaru had cheerlessly predicted, the Sound girl didn't exactly approve of his choice of clothing. Tayuya's face contorted into a grimace as Shikamaru showed her the clothes. Then again, he could have looked a little better at the clothes, and not just pick the ones at the top of the stacks. The shirt he was holding out for Tayuya was plain white, about the same size as the one she was wearing, and with three big 'Z's written in black letters on the chest. The shorts were khaki coloured, and about as tight as the pants she were already wearing, only that they would show off her legs as a plus. Tayuya stared at the clothes with obvious distaste. Shikamaru sighed softly, and lowered his hands. It was clear to him that she would not wear them.

"Like hell if I'm putting those on." Tayuya growled simply, her lips pulled slightly back to show her white teeth. "Don't you have any proper clothes at all, shithead?"

This was getting more and more troublesome, Shikamaru concluded. There was seemingly only one way to satisfy the picky redhead. Letting the clothes in his hands drop to the floor, Shikamaru lifted a hand to his forehead.

"If it's so troublesome to wear these, I could just go and buy some new ones for you.." Shikamaru said lazily, as he ran his hand slowly through his black hair. It was almost dry now; only a little moistness stuck to his skin. He closed his eyes, but he could still hear Tayuya's low, sarcastic chuckle.

"As if. You'd only manage to pick more crap of this sort." she said, nudging at one of the shirts on the floor with her left foot. Her legs were clearly starting to get better, since she felt very little discomfort from the movement. Tayuya smiled cruelly, eyeing the chuunin with an unusual smile, one he had not seen since their battle in the forest. "I'm coming with you."

Shikamaru groaned inwardly, but managed to keep his composure on the outside.

"No way. I don't wanna risk getting caught." he answered simply. But how long could he really expect to hide Tayuya in his apartment, without anyone noticing? He didn't know. "You're staying here."

"Make me, bastard." Tayuya said slowly, grating out each and every word, settling the matter once and for all. Her brown eyes drilled into the chuunin's, leaving no room for any arguement. Shikamaru sighed heavily, his fingers scratching the side of his forehead as he closed his eyes. It seemed he had no choice. How troublesome...

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

In the streets of Konoha, the sun was shining brightly. Only a few white cotton clouds dotted the blue sky, as they drifted slowly towards the horizon. Shikamaru envied the clouds. They had no problems in the whole world. They could simply drift along with the wind. No one were yelling at them, or punching them in the eyes. Not that any of the clouds had eyes, but that was hardly the point. The point was that Shikamaru wished he could be up there, floating along with the clouds. Or at least he wanted to be somewhere else, just staring up into the sky. Without any distur-

"Where are we going now, anyway?" interrupted an irritated voice from beside him, rapidly followed by an elbow to his right-side ribs. Shikamaru grunted softly at the physical jab, and lowered his eyes reluctantly from the blue sky to settle on Tayuya's glowering face. After some arguing, the girl had put on the white shirt and khaki shorts, as well as a black cap with visor to hide her face. Tayuya had also tucked her long red hair inside the cap, to make herself a little less recognisable. The Sound girl had originally wanted to hide herself with genjutsu, but Shikamaru had argued against it, knowing that ANBU and other skilled shinobi would be able to pick up the chakra presence. So they had been forced to revert to a physical disguise, though Shikamaru felt they had done a decent job. He didn't think anyone would recognise her unless they looked really closely at her.

"There's a clothes store a few blocks away." Shikamaru stated simply as they walked. Tayuya looked at him for a few seconds, her face unreadable. Since she seemed to get no more words out of the chuunin, Tayuya turned her attention to the front again, looking at the surroundings. Now that she looked at it, Tayuya realised that the Village of Konoha was completely different from the Sound Village she knew so well. Back in Otogakure, the dark hallways had been eerily quiet, with dark shadows that could swallow you whole. Few dared walk alone there, and Orochimaru's minions mostly stuck to their rooms except for training or when they were occasionally summoned by their master. It was a place where only the strong would survive.

The Village of Konoha was entirely divergent in all respects. No one seemed afraid or cowed here. Tayuya watched with curiousity as small children ran past them, playing with balls or trying to tag eachother. It reminded her of something deep down in her past, something she didn't quite remember, like the shadow of a memory long gone. They looked happy. Everyone looked happy, Tayuya realised as she looked around. From the apron-clad men and women in the food stands, to the loving couples walking hand in hand, to the old men playing chess outside a small cafe, they all looked like they had everything they needed in the entire world. Tayuya smiled bitterly. They were lucky. This was probably a nice place to grow up. So peaceful...

Tayuya glanced to the side, at the chuunin walking by her side. Unlike herself, he had probably not faced many hardships in his life. He had probably never needed to fight and kill for a living on the streets. He probably hadn't been raped since childhood either. And he had not killed his own parents. Tayuya's smile disappeared, her mood plunging. She envied him. And yet, he was doing this. Why was he risking everything? Why was this pineapple-headed bastard putting his existence in jeopardy, for her? Tayuya turned her head slightly, looking at him. Shikamaru was walking with his eyes in the sky again, oblivious to Tayuya's gaze. Why was he doing this? Tayuya didn't understand at all. He could easily have handed her in to the authorities at any moment. But instead, he had concealed her in his own apartment, healed her injuries, and now he was getting her new clothes. He had even put up with her violence and foul mouth, with little complaint. And worst of all, he seemed to have no personal gain in mind, at all. No one had ever treated Tayuya like that before, and it simply confused her to no end. She could no longer keep the questions in her mind. She needed to know, right now.

"Hey, bastard." Tayuya said, her voice low and dismal, shielding her voice from anyone around them. Shikamaru turned his head to look at her, his eyes curious. Tayuya was looking down on the ground as they walked, not looking at him while she spoke:

"Why did you help me?" she asked, her voice soft and yet demanding at the same time, wanting an answer to the question that had been torturing her mind.

Shikamaru's eyebrows lifted about half an inch up as he heard the question the girl asked him. Truth to be told, Shikamaru had expected the girl to ask him that particular question sooner or later, but he was still unprepared when he was suddenly faced with it. Shikamaru breathed in deeply through his nose, his mind wandering. Why had he saved her? He didn't even know the answer to that question himself. At the moment he had decided to hide her from her pursuers, it had simply seemed like the right thing to do. He did not regret that decision, even if the girl was proving to be mightily troublesome at times. He could feel the girl's gaze on himself, awaiting his answer. Slowly, he let the air in his lungs out through his mouth, before he opened his mouth to speak.

"Hey, Shikamaru!" came a sudden shouted voice, making both the chuunin and his red-haired company startle. Shikamaru cringed inwardly, knowing perfectly well who the voice belonged to. _Perfect._ Shikamaru thought to himself, as he looked at the trio approaching him and Tayuya.

**To be continued...**

Dun-dun-dun! Hehe, now I left you guys hanging again. God, I love writing cliffhangers :-D

I'm not gonna say who the mysterious people are, so you can try to guess who they are until the next chapter is up, which I should be able to finish in less than a month, unless my exams take more time than expected. In one month I will finally be done with upper secondary school (about the same thing as high school)! Yay! :-)

That's it from me for this time, I guess. Stay tuned for the next chapter. Until that time, take care.

Haraio


	8. Chapter Eight: Revelations

Wow!

I just checked my Fanfiction Stats. 7K view? Twenty times favorited? And more than thirty people watching this story? Thanks guys! You rock! This means a whole lot to me. It feels very nice to know that my work is appreciated, even if I update slower than a tranqualized turtle. I thank you so much for your patience. I promise, there are some good reasons for me being this late. Or namely, one reason: Work.

Stupid me. With school over, I thought I would have more time to write. Sadly, it didn't turn out that way. The truth is, I'm starting University this autumn (NTNU in Trondheim, Norway if anyone wonders), and because of that I need money. So I work more than normal, in order to save up money. So I ask you kindly to have patience with me :-)

Last week, on the 28th, I've been writing on this fanfic for half a year. I can't believe it's been that long. You guys are awesome. You are the ones who keep me going, by giving me feedback every time (you know who you are :-P).

Also, I just want to say that this thursday, the 3rd of July, is the birthday of my wonderful girlfriend Natasja. I'm amazed she's had the patience to stick by me and all my oddities for the last two years (yes, we celebrated two years on the 20th :-D). That's a feat, give her some applause! xD

Anyway, now I'm rambling on as normal. I'm sorry, we'll get to the story now :-)

Disclaimer: Still not owning Naruto (Or Tayuya for that matter)

**Chapter 8: Revelations**

Shikamaru gritted his teeth in irritation behind his closed lips as he watched the trio approaching them. He had hoped that he could take Tayuya to the clothing store and back without drawing any attention, but that seemed to be a lost hope now. Shikamaru was not often seen with anyone other than his team, and rarer still with anyone outside the genin teams. So it was not unreasonable that the trio wanted to know who the girl he walked alongside was. Shikamaru just wished that they hadn't.

Tayuya had startled at the loud shout, and now her head was turning from side to side, trying to find the source of the sound. Someone had shouted the pineapple-head's name, and Tayuya knew this meant that her cover could be in jeopardy. It could of course just be someone who wanted to talk to him, but Tayuya was prepared for the worst. That was how a shinobi survived; by always expecting and preparing for the worst. Suddenly she noticed three people walking towards them, one of them waving his hand at the black-haired chuunin at her side. Tayuya's eyes narrowed, her muscles tensing as she watched the small group approaching them.

The person to the left was a small girl, Tayuya noted. Her hair was short and dark purple in colour, which drew Tayuya's eyes to her. The girl was wearing a khaki-coloured, fur-rimmed jacket and purple shorts. The Sound girl's lips drew unvoluntarily back a few millimetres. The strange girl obviously liked purple, a colour that Tayuya personally hated very much. But what really caught the redhead's attention were the girl's eyes. They were white. And not in the obvious sense of the word. They were completely and utterly white. There were no pupils in the girl's eyes. Tayuya's eyes suddenly met with the weird girl's, and the girl instantly startled and lowered her eyes, her cheeks turning pink. Tayuya stared in disbelief, mouth opening slightly. How the hell was this pathetic girl a shinobi, if she couldn't even look people in the eyes?

The tall guy standing in the middle was... gloomy and creepy-looking. It was the best way Tayuya could find to describe him. He was taller than the other two, and he was wearing a large grey coat reaching all the way up to his nose, hiding half of his face. On top of that, the guy had spiky black hair and sunglasses, meaning Tayuya could see very little of his actual face. In Tayuya's opinion he looked like the stereotypical closet pervert, and she eyed him with a glare, but she got no reaction. Strange. Most people would react to her dagger-like glares. Tayuya shook her head a little. The guy creeped her out, somehow. Deciding to take her mind off the guy, she turned her gaze to the last person.

The guy to the right was- wait. She had seen him before somewhere. Tayuya's eyes narrowed as she stared intently at the guy. The hooded, light grey jacket and the spiky, dark brown hair seemed familiar awfully to her. Tayuya just couldn't place it. Suddenly, she noticed something was moving under the heavy garment, and in the next moment a white furball appeared in the neck opening of the jacket, barking in greeting to her and the black-haired chuunin. Tayuya's eyes widened in surprise, and if her self-control had been any weaker her jaw would have dropped to the floor. She knew who the bastard was! How could she not have remembered before? He had been with the pineapple-head and that annoying blonde bastard, before he with his idiocy had caused Sakon and himself to fall down that cliff. Tayuya glared at him. So he was the one who had killed the twins. Tayuya had not lamented their deaths very much, but they had still been her teammates. Which meant it was her duty to avenge them. Tayuya snarled quietly under her breath. She would make him pay dearly in the end, just as she would do with the pineapple-head.

While on the subject of the black-haired chuunin, he still owed Tayuya an answer. The interruption from the three fuckers had cheated her of the revelation she had sought, and it irritated her immensely. She wanted to know, damn it! Tayuya turned her head slightly, to glare daggers at the boy standing next to her. She wanted an answer to her question, and she would get it once these annoying brats were gone, even if she would have to squeeze it out from his fucking throat!

Shikamaru sighed softly as he watched the three genins approaching. He knew he had recognised Kiba's voice, not to speak of the distinct canine smell coming from the Inuzuka boy. Though he still would have preferred to make it to the store unnoticed, Shikamaru was happy that it was not Neji that had interrupted them. Surely, the older Hyuuga would have recognised Tayuya immediately. Kiba, on the other hand, was not exactly a master of detection, and Shikamaru had a hope that Tayuya's disguise would go unnoticed by the three genins. After all, Shino and Hinata had never seen the redhaired Sound girl before, which improved the odds a bit. Shikamaru just had to make sure that Kiba didn't realize who the girl next to him really was. What could possibly go wro-. Shikamaru winced inwardly, stopping his own thoughts in mid-sentence. He should not have thought that...

"Hey guys." Shikamaru said and lifted his hand in greeting, trying to act as normal as possible with an S-ranked criminal in disguise by his side. The three genins stopped in front of him and Tayuya, and Shikamaru lowered his hand in the same lazy way he had raised it. "Where are you guys heading?" he asked, seizing the initiative of the conversation before any of the three could ask about Tayuya. Shikamaru figured that would be the best way to hide her true identity.

"We were just on our way to training." Shino informed with his low, monotone voice. His black sunglasses glinted in the sunlight as he turned his head from Shikamaru to Tayuya and back again. The Aburame's expression was unreadable, mostly due to the coat hiding half of his face, and the sunglasses shielding his eyes. Shikamaru could actually not remember to ever having seen Shino's eyes, and it was a fact that he somehow found unsettling. There was a distinct aura of secrecy surrounding the bug-user. "Where are you going?"

"I needed to go to the store and pick up some clothes for my mom." Shikamaru said, trying to make his voice and tone convincing. "It's a drag, but..." he added for effect, leaving the sentence hanging in the air. Everyone who knew Shikamaru or his clan even remotely knew of their laziness and lack of enthusiasm. To the others, it would simply look like Shikamaru was out on another troublesome duty for his mom. At least that's what Shikamaru hoped. He lowered his gaze down to his arm, and pretended to look at the watch around his wrist. Then he lifted his eyes again, and smiled slightly at the trio in front of him. "Actually, I'm in a bit of a hurry, so..." he said, and made to move. He just had to get away from the trio, and everything would be fi-

"Hey, who's this, Shikamaru? Have you finally gotten yourself a girlfriend?"

Before either Tayuya or Shikamaru could react, Kiba had taken three steps forward towards Tayuya. The Inuzuka had an amused grin on his face, as he tilted his head down to peek under the visor of the cap. Shikamaru was perhaps the last person Kiba would have expected to get a girlfriend, and he was very curious as to who it could possibly be.

"Hey, what is your name, cutie?" Kiba asked sweetly, as he lifted the visor slightly to get a better view at the face hidden underneath. As he did so, a small lock of hair was released from it prison under the cap, and landed between Tayuya's eyes, tilted characteristically to the right of her nose. Kiba's eyes widened in a mix of dawning and utter shock, as he realized who the person under the cap really was. He remembered her, the redhaired girl from the failed retrieval mission. What was she doing here? What was going on? Kiba stared wide-eyed at her, completely incapable of producing any sound, his mouth gawking at the girl he had believed to be dead and buried long ago. The girl obviously realized what his surprised expression meant, as she bared her teeth at him in a small grin. "Surprise, fuckface." Tayuya whispered, only loud enough for the two of them, and possibly Shikamaru, to hear the words.The effect was immediate; Kiba let go of the redhead's cap as if burned and took a quick step backwards, his mouth opening in alarm.

But before the Inuzuka had the chance to voice the girl's true identity, his eyes met those of Shikamaru. Kiba's words disintegrated on his lips, as he looked into the Nara's eyes. There was a level of deathly seriousness in his gaze, the like of which Kiba had never seen from the normally relaxed chuunin. The steely gaze seemed to pierce right through him, forcefully telling him not to say a single word. Kiba closed his mouth slowly, and he thought he could see a small smile of satisfaction and gratitude forming on Shikamaru's lips.

"Hey Kiba, come here. I need to talk to you." Shikamaru said in his normal, lazy voice, before the boy in question had any time to gather his thoughts. Shikamaru seized Kiba's arm and led him to the side, away from the other two members of Team 8, who watched them with mild surprise. Shikamaru was never physical, and most of the time too lazy to actually grab another person. Something was clearly different today, and both Shino and Hinata wondered idly if it could have something to do with Shikamaru's new girlfriend. They both shared an amused glance, which didn't go completely unnoticed by the redhaired girl in front of them. Love could clearly affect even the laziest mind.

Tayuya looked after the two departing boys with a frown of irritation. Why did the pineapple-head have to leave with that other boy, and ditch her here with these two weirdos? Tayuya watched them from the corner of her eye, her head still turned in the direction of the black-haired chuunin and the doglover. She could see that the purple-haired girl was wearing a small smile on her lips. What was that bitch smiling for? Was she finding this amusing, that the lazy fucker was out with a girl? Tayuya snorted. As if she would ever go out with a guy. And even if she did, she would never be with a lazy, irritating fucker like him. Never in a million years.

"Shikamaru, what the h-" Kiba started, before Shikamaru hushed him with low 'shhhh'. A few nearby people looked at the two young shinobi curiously as they passed them. They were standing maybe thirty metres away from the other three shinobi, in front of a small store that sold comic books. Reluctantly, the young Inuzuka lowered his voice, though the urgency in his tone did not diminish one bit. "Shikamaru, what the hell are you doing?" he whispered, making sure no one in the nearest vicinity could hear them. Kiba's eyes were wide open, and Shikamaru knew that he was restraining himself not to talk loudly. Shikamaru could see the shock and disbelief in Kiba's eyes, and hear it in his voice.

"Why are you walking around the streets with that girl? She tried to kill you before!"

Shikamaru breathed out slowly, a heavy release of air from his lungs. How could he possibly explain the current situation to the person in front of him? Kiba had been there, on the failed mission to retrieve Sasuke from the clutches of Orochimaru. He, Shikamaru, and all the others had very nearly lost their lives fighting against Tayuya and the other Sound elites. How could Shikamaru put words on his feelings for the redhead now? Shikamaru doubted Kiba or any of the others that had participated in the mission would understand his situation. Shikamaru drew his breath softly in again, looking into the eyes of the Inuzuka. Kiba was staring at him, impatience and seriousness clear in his normally enthusiastic eyes.

"She...escaped from the prison, Kiba." Shikamaru begun. He paused, struggling to find the words to adequately explain what had happened. "I found her hiding in an alley. They've tortured her." Shikamaru almost whispered the words. Torture was an action which disgusted him very much, and especially if used on a woman. Even more so on someone as young as Tayuya. "I hid her, and healed her wounds. It was almost beyond my capacity.." The Nara trailed off, the tone of his voice telling Kiba all he needed to know about the seriousness of the Sound girl's injuries.

As Shikamaru ended his explanation, Kiba simply stared at him, his eyes unreadable. Then he shook his head slowly, his eyes on the ground as an exasperated sigh left his lips. The canine boy simply couldn't believe what his friend was doing. Not only was he hiding a high-ranking enemy within the boundaries of the village, he was also aiding her. Kiba wondered if Shikamaru even understood the immensity of his actions, and the grave consequences they could have. _Of course he does_, Kiba realized. _He is the genious of Konoha._ Still, he had to ask.

"Shikamaru, do you know what you're doing? If you're discovered..."

"I know the risks." Shikamaru said simply, interrupting Kiba before he could finish the sentence. "I have accounted for every possibility, and I can pull this off. I will help her until she's fully healed of her injuries." Shikamaru said, staring into the Inuzuka's eyes. Kiba could feel that the sentence had left one matter hanging in the air, and he already knew what it was. He looked gravely at the shadow using chuunin, his gaze becoming if possible even more serious.

"And then what? What will you do when she's fully healed. What will _she_ do?" Shikamaru didn't answer. The silence between them was deafening.

"I...don't know." Shikamaru finally admitted, quietly.

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Tayuya watched in irritation as the two Konoha shinobi talked between themselves a little distance away. The redhead was not stupid; she knew they were talking about her. She just did not know what the two Konoha shinobi were discussing about her. Tayuya had no idea what the shadow bastard's ulterior motives were, or exactly what he was telling the dog-loving boy. But Tayuya knew for certain that it had been the pineapplehead who had silenced the brown-haired boy. What for, Tayuya had no idea. She was still not any closer to the answer of why exactly the Nara boy was helping her. Tayuya snarled softly under her breath, tapping her foot softly against the hard-packed ground in irritation. She hated being confused, because confusion was very close to weakness. She did not want to be weak.

"E...excuse me..." the girl next to Tayuya begun uncertainly, startling the redhead slightly. Tayuya had almost forgotten the other girl was there. Annoyed, Tayuya turned her brown eyes to the Hyuuga, fixing the shorter girl with her withering gaze. The purple-haired genin stared back, seemingly unfazed with the redhead's evil eyes. Tayuya snorted in disbelief. What was wrong with this village? No one seemed frigthened of her anymore. It was the clothes, Tayuya realized. Without her distinctive Sound uniform, Tayuya was just another village brat. The realisation burned humiliatingly inside Tayuya's skin, and she scowled at the girl, as if she was the source of the problem. Which she in some way was, truth to be said. As Tayuya glared at the Hyuuga, she found herself for a moment faced with the perfectly white eyes of the girl. Tayuya shuddered; something didn't feel quite right about those eyes. It was like a demon's evil eyes, which pierced into the deepest pit her soul. Tayuya somehow felt like the female in front of her could see straight through her very being.

Without warning, the girl suddenly broke eye contact. With her hands at her sides, the girl with the short, purple hair actually bowed quickly to Tayuya!

"M-my name is Hyuuga Hinata. What is your name?" the girl, Hinata, said as she stood up straight, looking at Tayuya with hopeful eyes over pink cheeks. Tayuya was so surprised she stopped tapping her foot against the ground. She simply stared at the flushing girl with disbelief in her eyes. Was this weird-ass girl introducing herself to Tayuya? The redhead could hardly believe it. Few people had ever shown the decency of of giving Tayuya their names, at least not without her either taking the first step, or strangling them for it. Tayuya snorted, and turned her eyes away from the Konoha girl.

"Tayuya." Tayuya said simply. The girl didn't seem at all discouraged by Tayuya's unwelcome attitude. In fact, it seemed quite the opposite. The girl smiled, and took a step forward, towards Tayuya. The move put Tayuya on edge. Her muscles tensed in preparation for an attack she half expected would come, and she watched the purple-hair with a single brown eye. She seemed familiar, for some reason. To be exact, the eyes seemed familiar. Tayuya narrowed her eye as she looked at the other female more closely. Wait, she knew it! It was that guy, in the forest. He had also had those weird, white eyes. Tayuya mentally kicked herself for not realizing immediately. Now that she looked closer at the girl, she could see that she had the same clothes as the guy in the forest had been wearing, the khaki jacket being very prominent. The girl was still wearing a small smile, Tayuya noticed, and it was starting to freak her out slightly.

"Wh-where are you from, Tayuya-san?" the girl continued, having seemingly not noticed Tayuya's general hostility towards her. Tayuya snorted in annoyance, and turned her face to fully look at the girl. So the girl was wondering where Tayuya was from, huh? Well, Tayuya would definately tell her! The redhead opened her mouth, a small grin on her lips. All thoughts of secrecy and disguises were forgotten for a fateful moment. All Tayuya wanted to see was the terror and shock on the bitch's face when she realized Tayuya was an enemy shinobi.

"I'm from the Village of S-"

"Sand." came a voice from behind, interupting her. Tayuya stopped, the word she was about to say vanishing like mist from her lips. She blinked, suddenly realizing what she had been about to do. What had she been thinking? Turning her head to the side, she looked at the pineapple-head standing at her side. He sighed softly, meeting her brown eyes with a gaze that clearly said _"what do you think you're doing, baka?"_. Tayuya stared into his eyes, and to her disgust she could feel her cheeks turning hot. Scowling, she turned her eyes away, unwilling to show her own weakness to the bastard.

Shikamaru shook his head slowly in exasperation. The redhead was really a troublesome person at times. Shikamaru didn't know what made her almost blow her own cover like that, but he knew that he had reacted just in time. The second he saw Hinata talking to the Sound girl, he knew it would be trouble. The two girls were widely different in attitude, and Shikamaru was grateful he had made the decision to step inbetween. He looked back at Kiba, who came over behind him, returning to his team's side. The Inuzuka didn't say anything, but he eyed Tayuya warily. Shikamaru breathed a small sigh of relief. He could trust Kiba not to say anything. Good. He needed someone he could trust.

"Sand?" Shino seemed intrigued by the fact, as he leaned slightly forward, a tone of underlying curiosity in his normally monotonous voice. "What is she doing in Konoha?" he asked, his eyes drifting to the still flushing redhead. Unlike the last time he met a Sand shinobi, there was no hostility in his voice now. After the Sand's timely intervention during the failed retrieval mission, relations between Konoha and the Sand Village had been steadily improving, and the previous invasion of Konoha was all but forgotten by most people.

"She is Temari-san's little sister." Shikamaru said, thinking quickly. Temari and Tayuya were actually a bit alike, and he hoped that the two genins would buy it. Tayuya reacted immediately, turning her head to look at Shikamaru with a surprised face. Ignoring her, Shikamaru continued. "Temari-san asked me to watch her, and show her around Konoha." _Yeah, that sounds plausible_, Shikamaru thought silently to himself. It seemed to work, as both Hinata and Shino nodded and smiled in understanding. Kiba only watched Shikamaru with a serious look on his face. Shikamaru knew that he was worried.

Tayuya was staring at the pineapple-headed bastard in surprise as he talked. _How dare he?_ she fumed inwardly. She would not tolerate being referred to as someone's 'little sister'. It was fucking humiliating! Especially when she did not know who he was talking about. She was not some fucking little brat, damn it! Even if he was a few inches taller than her, she was still at least two years older than him, and she would not take any crap from him. Snarling, Tayuya brushed past the purple-haired girl and the dog-boy, stalking down the street. Behind her, she could hear the pineapple-head quickly saying bye to the other shinobi before hurrying after her. Tayuya didn't care. She continued down the street, leaving the brats behind. She walked until she felt a hand grab her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks. The grip was gentle but steadfast, making her stop without forcing her. Tayuya turned her head slowly, looking back at the black-haired chuunin with a scowl. Shikamaru met her gaze evenly, sighing softly under his breath.

"What are you walking away for, Tayuya?" he inquired, his eyes fixed lazily on her. Tayuya snarled, anger boiling furiously under the surface. She was about to explode. "If we're not careful-" Before Shikamaru could finish the sentence, Tayuya rounded on the chuunin, seizing the collar of his jacket. Shikamaru was taken aback by the Sound girl's speed, and she jerked him closer, their faces almost touching.

"Careful?" Tayuya spat, glaring at Shikamaru. "I don't fucking care about being careful. If you humiliate me like that again, you fruit-haired jerkwad, I will fucking kill you." The burning fire clearly visible in Tayuya's brown eyes told Shikamaru that her threat was very real, and not something to take lightly. Even if she was injured, the Nara knew that Tayuya would have little problem slitting his throat while he was sleeping. By now, their little argument had caught the attention of the people around them. People were looking at them, a few outright staring, obviously wondering what the quarrel between the two teenagers was all about. Shikamaru ignored the people around them, and met Tayuya's gaze head on. He was not cowed by her glare; he had grown up with a very bossy woman, his mother, who was far scarier than Tayuya could ever be.

"What's the problem?" Shikamaru asked, his lazy eyes looking deeply into Tayuya's brown ones. He really didn't understand what she was so upset about. Man, women were so troublesome sometimes. No, wait. All the time was a more correct assessment. Shikamaru sighed softly before continuing, still looking into the girl's eyes, just a few inches from his own. "All I said was that you were Temari's little sist-"

"And who the fuck is this Temari?" Tayuya snapped, her cross words cutting Shikamaru off before he could finish the sentence. She would not let him finish it. It was humiliating enough already, without him rubbing it further into her skin. When he didn't answer immediately, she grabbed his jacket harder, and shook him a bit, snarling into his face. "Well?!"

This would end in pain. Shikamaru knew this, and the pain would definately be on his side. When Tayuya realized who Temari was, she would be pissed at him for comparing them. Shikamaru was not a genious for nothing, and he was pretty sure how the redhead would react to that comparison. Under Tayuya's withering gaze, however, Shikamaru knew that he couldn't do anything but telling her the truth, and hoping that she wouldn't kill him on the spot. Shikamaru took a deep breath, before opening his mouth.

"You remember our fight in the forest, right?" Tayuya nodded sourly. "That blonde girl-"

The air left Shikamaru's lungs in a single breath, as Tayuya's clenched fist connected directly with his solar plexus, her knuckles burying painfully into the vulnerable spot. The force of the punch took Shikamaru completely aback. He had not expected such strength from the lithe redhead. His vision was swimming, and he bent over as Tayuya pushed her knuckles deeper into his lower chest. His stomach lurched, and he felt squeamish, like he was going to throw up any second. Shikamaru heaved for his breath, trying to force oxygen into his beaten lungs, when he felt the redhead removing her fist from his solar plexus.

Tayuya glared hatedly at the black-haired chuunin as he hunched over from her punch. _He is such a weakling_, she thought angrily. She knew who he was talking about. She remembered the incident very clearly. How could she not? That very meeting was the reason for her fucked-up situation. Tayuya snarled in fury, grinding her knuckes deeper into the Konoha chuunin's lower chest. How dared he?! How dared he compare _her_, Tayuya of the Sound, to that whore, to that fucking Sand bitch?! Anger was boiling inside Tayuya, clouding her senses. She was only dimly aware of herself shifting her grip around the pineapple-head's jacket, from the front to the back. Then, with all her anger-induced strength, Tayuya slammed the still-hunched Shikamaru face-first into the ground. Her fury granted her additional strength, and dust flew around the two as Shikamaru's face connected hard with the ground, to the shock and surprise of the crowd around them. Leaving her saviour coughing on the hard-packed earth, Tayuya brushed past the stunned villagers and down the street at a brisk pace.

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Far above the village, on the steep face of the mountain, a few small pebbles of rock fell down from between two of the Hokage heads. There, on a small ledge, a familiar yet mysterious person was laying on his back. The man was holding his stomach, gasping for breath between fits of roaring laughter. As the last of the laughter left his thin lips, the man pushed himself up on his elbows, crimson eyes glinting in amusement. As he collected himself, he smiled at the thought of the humourus incident he had overseen.

"Heh, that was priceless." he chuckled to himself, straining his crimson eyes to pick out the redheaded Sound girl marching down the road, leaving the guy she had been walking with face-down in the dust. The mysterious, dark-haired person on the rocky ledge found it very amusing. Tayuya was still as violent and tomboyish as he remembered her. True, she had grown a bit too since the last time they had met, but she was still the same foulmouthed, flamehaired girl he had known back then.

A sound behind him made his chuckle cease, and the mysterious shinobi turned his head in a annoyance, to find a figure standing unmoving in the dark shadows behind him. The figure said nothing, only a low breathing revealing that the person was actually alive. The black-haired man sighed and glared at the motionless figure.

"Tell the Lord some...complications came up. I'll be seizing the target as soon as possible." he ordered. Truth was, he could have fulfilled his mission any moment. But he was curious about Tayuya and her new 'friend', and he wanted to see how it would develop before he had to ruin the party. He had plenty of time anyway. The figure behind him simply gave an inhuman hiss, like the rasping of a ruptured throat, before disappearing, taking off towards the location it had just returned from. The shinobi looked back at the place it had been standing for a few seconds, before returning his attention to the show with renewed interest.

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

As Tayuya marched down the dusty street, she could hear jogging footsteps catching up to her. Without turning her head, she already knew it was the pineapple-head. She allowed a small smile to cross her lips, despite her still-hot anger. He had recovered from her attack fast, she had to admit. He was definately sturdier than he looked.

Shikamaru had been forced to jog to catch up to Tayuya. Voluntarily, he was not one for physical exercises, but he had realized that he needed to stay with the redhead in order to keep her out of trouble. So far, they had been lucky. At the moment, only himself and Kiba knew of Tayuya's real identity, and Shikamaru trusted Kiba to not say anything. Even so, it was not to say it had been painless. Shikamaru's face was dotted with small bruises and cuts from his not-so-gentle contact with the hard street, and his lower chest still ached from Tayuya's punch. The girl really threw some wicked punches. Looking at her lithe figure, Shikamaru could not tell where she was hiding her strength.

As he caught up with the flamehaired girl, Shikamaru fell in by her side, slowing down to match her pace. From the corner of his eye, he could see the girl watching him with a matching sideway glance, but she said nothing. That was fine by Shikamaru; the silence was welcome compared to the noise she was normally making. Shikamaru was honestly surprised she had not yelled at him more. Her powerful burst of anger seemed to have ended as rapidly as it had begun. Shikamaru thought he could even see the hint of a small smile on the girl's lips as he looked at her. The Nara sighed softly under his breath. He really did not understand her.

After a few minutes of walking in complete silence, the odd couple finally reached the clothing store, a small two-storey building with the store in the first floor and the owner's apartment in the second. Tayuya viewed the store with scepticism as the two of them walked in. She doubted she would find any clothes she liked; most likely there would be lots of skimpy, tightsitting clothes which the Konoha whores would love wearing, and nothing for decent shinobi. Tayuya rolled her eyes at her own thoughts. Now she was just being silly. She just had to make the best of the situation. Anything was better than the tightsitting, awkwardly revealing clothes she was wearing at the moment.

Shikamaru watched in silence as Tayuya rapidly picked out the clothes she wanted to try on. From what he could see standing behind her, she was confirming his suspicion that she was unlike other girls he had met. Where Sakura and Ino would choose clothes that helped enhance the looks of their own female assets, Tayuya was the exact opposite. In quick succession, Tayuya picked out two pairs of loose, slightly baggy pants, and a bunch of loose-fitting shirts, all in various dull and boring shades of grey or brown. Shikamaru sighed softly, as the redhaired girl picked up her second slate grey shirt. Tayuya turned her head towards him immediately, her poisonous glare practically demanding to know if he had anything against her choice in clothing. Shikamaru shook his head, muttering an apathetic "whatever floats your boat" in reply. The redhead snorted in response, and brushed off towards the fitting room with her arms full of clothing, leaving an unenthusiastic Shikamaru to follow slowly in her wake.

The wooden panels felt good and solid against his back. Shikamaru sighed softly as he leaned against the wall of the fitting room. After walking halfway across the village, it felt good to just stand still for a bit and relax. On the other side of the wooden panels, Tayuya was busy trying on the pile of clothes she had picked out, granting Shikamaru a few minutes of, in his own opinion, well-earned peace. It also gave him time to reflect on his own situation. What Kiba had said earlier was true. Shikamaru had no idea what the redhead would do once she was fully healed and capable of taking care of herself. Maybe she would kill him, maybe she would simply leave. Shikamaru sighed to himself, raising his head and looking into the blank space. It would more than likely be the former. With all the animosity she felt for him, it was beyond doubt that she would want revenge for her situation. Oh well. He'd just have to deal with that problem when it arose.

On the other side of the same wooden wall, Tayuya was busy trying on the clothes she had picked out. A large stack of shirts and pants lay on a stool in the small cubicle, ready to be tried for fitting. At the moment, Tayuya was looking at her own reflection in the mirror, scrutinizing the redhaired girl that looked back at her. Tayuya was wearing a pair of baggy, khaki-coloured pants. She had picked them out both because of the anonymous colour, which was perfect for camouflage, but also because of the large amount of pockets, both on the hips and on the legs themselves. As a shinobi, it was vital to be able to hide equipment and weapons on your body. Apart from the loose-fitting pants, she wasn't wearing anything. Due to the pineappe-head's gender, he had been unable to give her any panties or bras for her to wear under her clothes. Tayuya didn't care, she had never used them anyway. They were only in the way. Tayuya smiled a weak smile, looking at herself in the mirror. She looked slightly better than yesterday. Sure, she was still skinny as hell below her petite, round breasts, but at least she did not look as pale as before, and all the blood and grime had been washed off her when she had her shower earlier. She hated to admit it, but the pineapple-headed fucker had taken good care of her. The smile instantly wiped clear off her face. She still didn't know why.

"Hey, jerkwad?" she whispered, her voice suddenly hesitant. Why, she did not know. She hoped he was nearby, and that he had not simply left her at the store. There was no answer from the other side of the panel wall. Tayuya gritted her teeth in annoyance, and knocked on the dark wood with her knuckles, the sound uncomfortably loud in her own ears. At least she got the reaction she wanted.

"What do you want, Tayuya?" came the bored, apathetic voice from the other side. Tayuya took a deep breath, her heart beating faster for some strange, fucked-up reason. Why did she feel like this, just because he used her name?

"You didn't answer my question earlier.." she said, trying to steady her voice as much as possible, as to not reveal anything to the black-haired boy. There was a slight pause from the other side of the wall, before Shikamaru replied, his voice still carrying the same unenthusiastic tone.

"Huh?"

She now wanted to hit him. Really hard. Or maybe knee him in the nuts. He couldn't possibly be this stupid! He was supposed to be some sort of genious, and yet he seemed to have forgotten her question already. Despite the strong urge to deliver violence to the pineapple-headed bastard, Tayuya's curiousity overwhelmed her irritation, and she spoke calmly, avoiding any snappy remarks.

"Why did you save me?" she said, as she turned around and leaned her back against the wall she had been talking through. She needed to steady herself. She was losing her grip. The Sound girl leaned her head back, and slowly exhaled the breath she had been holding in. Unbeknown to the two young shinobi, they were leaning against the exact same spot on the wall. They were standing back to back, their beings focussed entirely on eachother.

There was a longer pause. It seemed to last forever to the redhead. She could hear her own heartbeat, steady, like a heavy drum in an underground cave. The seconds snailed away, and she thought he would never answer. Then, finally, she heard his voice again.

"I don't know." the boy started. Tayuya could hear the hesitation in his voice, as if he was searching for the words that he needed. For a moment, she wondered if he was as nervous as she was. "I guess at the moment I did it, it just felt like the right thing to do. You're a girl, and I didn't want to see you hurt." the boy continued. Tayuya almost breathed a sigh of relief, although she didn't know what for. A small smile appeared on her lips, and Tayuya closed her eyes. It had just been his sense of conscience that had saved her. There was nothing more to it. "But.." Tayuya's smile disappeared, her chestnut eyes opening again. "..now, I'm not sure." Shikamaru finished the sentence, and stopped. The Nara ran his hand slowly through his black hair. He didn't know how to say it. It would definately sound weird, considering the short timespan, and he didn't know how the fiery redhead would react. Well, she was the one who had asked. He would just answer truthfully. "I think I..."

_What? What do you think?_ Tayuya thought to herself, as the chuunin once again paused. What was he trying to say? She didn't understand.

"...care about you.."

The three simple words shattered Tayuya's train of thoughts, just like a kunai falling on a stone floor would shatter a heavy silence. Her brown eyes shot wide open in surprise, her mouth hanging open, unable to form any coherent words. For a moment, everything was silent in Tayuya's mind, and the only thing she could hear was her own heart. It was beating faster.

Whatever she had expected him to say, this was not it. And yet, she had somehow anticipated it. _Why?_ was the first sentient thought that sprung to her mind. How could he possibly care about her? All she had done since they had met was trying to make his life miserable, which was what she was expected to do considering the circumstances of their first meeting. And yet he said that he cared about her. And she believed him. And what was worse, she felt a tiny pinprick of joy at the thought, deep in her chest. Tayuya squeezed her eyes shut, tightly. It had been nearly ten years since the last time she had experienced this feeling. It felt somewhat pleasant.

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Shikamaru was getting slightly worried, where he stood leaning . Since he had told Tayuya what he felt seven minutes ago, the girl had not made a sound. The fitting room was unnervingly quiet. Maybe she had fainted in there. If she had, it was a bad sign. Shikamaru lifted his hand, and knocked softly on the wood over his shoulder. There was no answer from within.

"Che...What a drag..." Shikamaru muttered to himself, as he stepped around the side of the small cubicle and seized the dark purple curtain that made the 'door'. But before he had the chance to draw the curtain aside, Tayuya came bursting out, a large stack of dully coloured clothes in her arms. She grinned at him as she passed him, heading for the counter in the centre of the small store to pay. "Come on you retard, get moving." she called over her shoulder. Shikamaru simply sighed, before he let go of the curtain and followed her lazily.

As she brushed past the unsuspecting chuunin, Tayuya smiled. As soon as she had passed him, however, the smile wiped off her face. She would not show him that she had been affected by what he had said. Never. With the large stack of clothes in her arms, Tayuya hurried towards the counter where the cashier sat, a dark-haired woman in her late twenties. The woman smiled at Tayuya as she approached, a glint in her eyes. "Your boyfriend buying you clothes?" the woman asked politely, a tint of amusement in her voice.

"Huh?" Tayuya answered, then as she ran the question through her mind she smiled. "Yes. Yes he is." she said, her smile turning devious. "He'll be paying for it." The woman smiled and nodded, and began scanning the clothes one by one and putting them into paper bags for ease of carrying. By the time Shikamaru came trudging over, Tayuya was just picking up the full paper bags. The redhead turned towards the approaching Nara, throwing him a cruel smile while fluttering her eyelashes teasingly. "I'll leave the payment to you, _boyfriend_." she said with deceptive sweetness in her voice, before hurrying out of the store, leaving a bewildered Shikamaru behind. The Nara stared after the girl as she took off, wondering what she meant by what she had said. Then he noticed the cashier lady smiling warmly at him.

"That'll be 251,000 Yen, young Romeo." she said and giggled. "Your cute girlfriend said you'd pay for her." Shikamaru suddenly realized what Tayuya had done. It was a dirty trick, and she had pulled it off perfectly. He put his palm to his face and sighed heavily in exasperation. "Of course she did..." he muttered as he reached for his wallet. The redhead was getting more troublesome by the minute.

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Far away from the Village of Konoha, in a foreign country, a familiar figure was leaving a remote Village. The figure lifted its hand to its blonde hair to shield its eyes against the whirling gusts of wind, as the person started the long journey towards Konohagakure. The person ran quickly, keeping a good speed straight towards the target, the large object strapped on its back standing out against the flat horizon.

**To be continued...**

Yes, that's another chapter done :-) The longest so far!

How will Tayuya and Shikamaru deal with these new revelations? Who is the new person entering the picture? What will happen? :-O

Lol. I've always wanted to do that :-D

I will try to have the next chapter done within a month's time. Till then, take care :-)

Haraio


	9. Chapter Nine: Visions of Twilight

Damn.

Damn, damn, damn! I am -so- late. I don't really know what to say, other than the fact that I am very, very sorry. I was hoping to have this chapter done quickly, but it actually took me over two months. And on top of that, it's actually a pretty short chapter. Argh.

I know that you all probably don't wanna hear my excuses, but I have some legimate reasons for being this late. I promise :-P

The main reason for this horrible delay is the very simple. I've started university, and because of that I've had to move to a different town, and get my own place to live. That's right, I am no longer living with my parents, so I now have to take care of myself. Kinda like Shikamaru :-P

On top of all the issues with school and moving, I've also had to deal with other things. My girlfriend and I have been having a rough time lately, so some of my inspiration to write has been absent. Don't worry, we're doing better now, so she's still my trusty proofreader and muse like she's always been :-)

I've also tried to finish the painting of my Warhammer army, in preparation for a tournament in Sweden this October. I'll tell you, speed-painting more than a hundred miniatures to good quality can be very taxing :-P

Anyway, I guess you're pretty tired of hearing my excuses, so I'll just shut up and give you all what you want J This chapter takes a break from Tayuya and Shikamaru's awkward struggles, to focus on the mysterious stalker that keeps watching them. I hope the secrets revealed in this chapter will elect the surprised expressions I was aiming for :-P

On a side note, it makes me very happy to see that no one have removed me from the Alert or favourite listings, despite my slowness in updating. I thank you all J

Disclaimer: I still don't own Naruto

**Chapter 9: Visions of Twilight**

The world is painted in a deep regal blue colour, like that of a particularily beautiful sapphire gem. Among the golden stars on the near-cloudless midnight sky, a pristine white moon hangs, high and proud. The light from the full moon lessens the darkness of the night, casting a twilight sheen over the world. The contours of the Great Village of Konohagakure stands out in complex patterns of black and white, shadow and moonlight, where it lies below the Hokage Mountain.

It is a mighty, beautiful sight, he admits to himself, both calming and invigourating at the same time. From where he sits, on top of the deceased Third Hokage's wide stone forehead, he can see the entirety of the Great Shinobi Village below him. He sits, his legs crossed and arms in his lap, steady and unmoving as the rock beneath him. He is completely at ease, as he watches the sleeping Village.

He smiles, the slight movement causing the moonlight to shift over his face, bringing his features out more clearly. His ends of his thin lips are drawn upward into an amused smile, his cheekbones high and pronounced, picked out by the light of the white orb in the sky. On either side of his thin nose, a crimson orb shines darkly in the night air. There is malign intentions in those eyes. It seeps out of his very being, like slick oil over fingers. It is as if they draw the very air more tightly around him. And yet, not all of it seems to come from him, but also from the large object at his side.

_Sagirisaku_. He lifts his hand, moves it slowly from its resting place on his lap, to the large object laying next to him on the stone. It's long, about two metres from end to end. Nearly a foot longer than himself. At the moment, the long object is wrapped completely in white bandages. Still, he can feel the ominous aura surrounded it. He can taste it on his tongue, the faintly metallic taste. Like blood. His fingers hover over the bandages, hesitant. The air tingles like electricity, expectantly. He feels his skin react to the Sagirisaku's otherworldly, eerie presence. Goosebumps pops up all over his arm. He looks at it for a moment before, with strength of will, he pulls his hand back. It is as if the very air resist his withdrawal, trying to hold him back, like a strong vacuum. He tears himself free, and feels the malign aura slowly dissapate, as if disappointed by his rejection. Slowly, relieved, he breathes out.

_How long can I resist the temptations?_ he muses to himself, a smile on his lips despite the pessimistic train of thoughts going through his sharp mind. The ever-stronger lures and goads from the inanimate object are not a prophecy of his own demise, not to him. To him, it is a challenge, an insult against his mental fortitude. Dark shadows shift over his face as he turns his head slightly, looking at the white bandages by his side. The edges of his lips pull upwards, into a toothy smirk. _You will not seize me so easily, old friend. As long as you are mine to carry, I will fight you with every shred of my will._

_Why are you so certain of the roles in this relationship? _The unbidden thought is clear and gentle in his mind, almost mocking. He is not even sure whether the inner voice is his own, or someone else's. _Are you sure that you are not my weapon, my possession, being wielded without a thought?_ He chuckles quietly to himself, but does not answer the thought. Another challenge, one which he gladly accepts. He has always liked challenges. He lives for them.

He tears his eyes away from his long-time companion, and gazes out over the village. He looks at the mountains on the horizon, where they stand like dark shadows against the slightly lighter night sky. It is like a reflection of the world he knows. There is no light. There is only various shades of darkness, varying degrees of evil and pain. He lifts his gaze, towards the centre of the black sky, towards the bright full moon. Then, there's him; the shining light of the world. He smiles, faintly amused by his own sarcastic thoughts.

Once again his crimson eyes return to the sleeping village below him. It is quiet, where it stretches out from the base of the sheer cliff face, until it reaches the large stone walls and the deep forest beyond. One of the mightiest Shinobi Villages in the world. Konoha is famed for it's large and skilled ninja force, and yet they had not detected his presence. He snickers to himself. It seems the skill of this village's inhabitants is nothing more than hot air. His own village would never allow such weakness. His own village. How long has it been? How long ago, was the last time he visited his childhood village? _Eight years?_ He nods quietly to himself. Something like that. It has really been a long time since he left his village, all those years ago, to pursue his dreams. He still remembers it vividly. He closes his eyes, softly, a smile spreading over his lips. He can feel the memories pushing to the front of his mind, a reverie of images of days long past. He allows them to the fore. His subconsciousness is still on alert in the present, so he can allow himself this moment of nostalgia. He welcomes the chance to see his old village again, even if it is only within the confines of his own mind.

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

_He is standing on a beach. The image is crystal clear to him, even clearer than if he had seen it with his own eyes. He can almost, somehow, feel the warmth of the sun-warmed sand against his bare feet. He looks across the empty sands, the grains a yellowy white colour, stretching as far as he can see on either side of him. In front of him, the ocean lies majestetically, the blue water sparkling in the light of the slowly rising sun. Occasionally a wave rushes up over the sand, tickling his naked toes with the touch of clean, cool seawater. The sight and touch of the ocean causes a tingling in his heart. Pride. Pride in the sheer natural beauty of his home-country. It almost takes his breath away, and he feels a stab of sadness, a sudden longing to see it again, with his own natural eyes. He pushes the feeling resolutely down. It is not yet the time. He gazes from side to side. Nothing. Turning, he looks behind him. Ten metres behind him, the beach give way to a thick, lush forest. Behind them, he thinks he can see the contours of small houses. He smiles. It definately feels like home. Turning back to face the sea, he is surprised to see that he is no longer alone._

_In front of him stands a small, lone figure, gazing out over the ocean just like himself. Short, black hair whips in the salty ocean gale. The small boy breathes in deeply of the fresh air. The man smiles, and walks slowly forward, up to the smaller figure. The boy takes no notice, only continues to stare out over the water. Of course he doesn't notice. It is only a memory, after all. The man smiles, a hint of warmth slipping over his smile. He can see his own facial features in the young boy. The thin lips, the cheekbones, the bony nose. The boy will one day be one of the village's most powerful shinobi. _

_He remembers it clearly, how much he loved walking down to the beach before dawn, just to watch the morning fog roil in over the sea and cover his village in white. It is a mesmerizing sight indeed, and he never grew tired of seeing it. He spent countless days down here in his younger days, training incessantly to become stronger and more skillful in the arts of the shinobi._

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

_Losing yourself in the past again, you sentimental fool?_ comes the sarcastic voice in his head suddenly, roughly pulling him out of his pleasant memories. The smile disappears swiftly from his lips, and his crimson orbs open again, now hard and cold like sharpened steel. He bares his teeth as he stare into the dark void of the night, as if challenging the very darkness itself.

_My past makes me strong, my friend_, he states matter-of-factly in his mind, still not really sure if he is simply talking to himself or if there is some malicious entity behind the voice inside his skull.

When there is no immediate answer from the mocking voice in his mind, he chuckles softly to himself, shaking his head slowly. Here he is, talking to himself again. He really needs to get his act together. That's what his brother always used to say. His older brother had always mocked him and said that he "didn't have his feet fully planted in the dirt". To some extent, he agrees with his older sibling's sarcastic statement. He knows it very well himself, that he can seem strange at times.

He and his older brother had been very close in the past. They had only been one year apart, and in their youth they had been near inseparable, as only close siblings can be. They would always go down to the beaches, and train together. There they would practice and spar against eachother, with wooden swords, staffs, or just their own bodies, until late in the evening. They both shared the same passion, and the same dream. They both wanted to be strong. renowned shinobi, and they were both willing to drive themselves to the brink of death to achieve their aim. Both of them would push the other one step further every time. And each time, their strength, stamina, speed, and skill would rise to a new level. Their common goal drove them on every time they faltered.

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

_The sand is warm against his bare skin, after being subjected to the merciless rays of the sun for most of the day. He gazes up at the sky, his heart beating a wild rhytm in his chest. A few gulls fly overhead on the blue sky, shrieking at eachother. He can barely hear them over his own panting. His lungs are aching, as they struggle to draw fresh oxygen into his blood stream. His limbs feel heavy, as if they have suddenly turned to iron and stone. Two broken wooden staffs lie around him in the hot sand. They've been sparring hard, all day long. Only now are they too exhausted to go on, their young bodies unable to move anymore._

_He smiles, and closes his eyes, enjoying the warmth of the sun above and the sand below to its fullest. He can feel a thin layer of sweat on his forehead. It sticks to his short, black hair, making it gleam in the light of the sun. Slowly, he opens his crimson-coloured eyes. His breath is finally starting to settle down, and he can hear the breath of the person laying next to him in the sand. He tilts his head to the side, and looks at his older brother. They are only one year apart, and nigh unseparable. He looks at his older sibling. His brother's black hair is shorter than his own, and it stands up in small spikes, whereas his own hangs down like a short curtain. They have the same facial features, making them easily distinguishable as brothers; a slim nose, small mouth and pronounced cheek bones._

_"Tired, little brother?" comes his older brother's voice suddenly, and he startles for a moment. As though he has sensed his younger sibling's gaze, the older brother turns his head in the direction of the second-born, and smiles. Slowly, he lifts his hand, signaling to his younger sibling. "That was a good spar, Katsu." he says, grinning in satisfaction. Katsu grins too, his crimson eyes shining with happiness, and high fives his brother's lifted hand. "It was."_

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

He smiles, pleasant memories flooding over him like a warm wave. He had a good childhood. And it got even better once the two of them realized that they were not alone. They found others, with a passion just like theirs. Around them, they had formed a group of five other young boys, just like themselves. Together, they had all grown and developed, training in unison. It was perfect. It was the perfect way to grow up; surrounded by like-minded shinobi, forming a tight and unbreakable group. Or so they had thought.

The smile wipes off his face, instantly replaced by a cold, contemptous scowl. They had been unbreakable, until that fateful day. His dear brother had been accused of a crime, the worst crime. Treason. The leaders of the village had declared his brother a traitor. Lies. It had been all lies. There was no way his brother could ever be a traitor, like they said. But his brother, that idiot, had disappeared without a trace.

He grinds his teeth together, just like he does every time he thinks about the painful past. His brother had been a total fool for running away. In doing so, he just confirmed the accusations from the village's leaders. People started talking and whispering about them, suspicious of their group now that his brother had left. This had left a deep crack in their 'unbreakable' group. One by one, the members had disappeared, leaving the village without a trace, and without saying a word to their friends. It had been like a silent agreement between the six of them, given without word or thought. One by one, they deserted everything they held dear, and became Nuke-nins.

Katsu too had left the village, in his brother's footsteps, as the last member of their small group to leave. At that time, he had been seventeen. He had no seconds thoughts about leaving his home behind. He was not doing anything wrong; he only wanted to expand his visions, beyond the rigid boundaries of the village laws. It was the village who had wronged, in treating them like they were trash and wrongfully accusing his brother of treachery.

For months, he had lived in the wilderness of the country, living off the land as he traveled between the smaller villages. But he never entered them. He kept himself to the outskirts, unseen. Sometimes, he would capture or kill local bandits and thieves, and claim the bounties before disappearing like the morning mist. He enjoyed the existence of an independent shinobi to its fullest, feeling free to go wherever he wanted. For a long time, he would continue to travel between the villages and settlements of the country, never settling down.

It was on one such journey, almost to a day one year after abandoning his own village, he ran into a certain young girl. He had been walking down a empty dirt road between two villages for the majority of the day, minding his own business, when she had come running towards him. He had realized instantly that something was wrong. A small girl, maybe six or seven years old, had come running down the dusty road. Her clothes were torn to shreds, and she was bleeding and crying. Behind here came two common thugs, one of them still trying to pull his worn-out woolen breaches up from his thighs. Katsu had been very angered by their actions against the small girl, and he had killed the two of them swiftly and mercilessly with his blade.

As he wiped their unclean blood off his blade, using the shirt belonging to one of them, he had looked at the small girl. She had been sitting on the ground, looking at him through tear-filled, brown eyes. It had been very obvious to him that she did not completely trust him, even if he had saved her from the two bandits. It was pretty understandable. He had smiled at her, and walked over to where she had been sitting. She had shuffled away from him as he approached, until he placed his hand gently on her head. The simple gesture seemed to calm the girl down, as she had stopped recoiling from his presence, and looked up at him with confused eyes. He had given her a warm, honest smile, and she had returned it, although hesitantly. Then she had hugged his legs, her cheek rubbing eagerly against his thigh. The physical action had surprised him, though he did not resist it. It was obvious that she was grateful to him for saving her, and it seemed like she wanted to show her gratitude in a physical way. So he had complied to her wish.

Thus, they had been physical together there, next to the road, for a few hours as the sunlight waned and night fell. For the first few minutes she had been scratching his chest with her fingernails and tried to wiggle away, but after a while she settled down and let him continue. Occasionally she let out small whimpers, but for the most she was quiet. He had been very gentle with her, and he was certain that she had enjoyed it as much as he had. Again and again they had done it, until he fell asleep from sheer exhaustion. When he woke up, she had disappeared. He had been worried about her, but had resolved that if Fate willed it, they would meet again. As it was, it seemed Fate supported that fact.

Katsu smiles widely as he stands up, his wooden sandals making a soft clop against the hard stone under him. Fate does have something planned out for him, it seems. Why else has he received this mission? There is no other answer. His master has granted him this task, so that he can fulfill it, and at the same time fulfill his destiny. He is just to retrieve his master's possession, which happens to be in this village. It is pretty ironic, actually. Almost amusing. Because, he has long wanted to square up with this village. His smile wanes slightly. He wants to set things straight with Konohagakure. They killed his brother, and justice must be dispensed. Through his various sources, he has learned that a famous shinobi from this village, known across the world for his skill, killed his brother in single combat. This means that Katsu has a revenge to settle with the people here, to honour his fallen brother. The mission to retrieve his master's possession is just the topping on the cake.

As he gets up in standing position, he suddenly becomes aware of a presence. An unfamiliar chakra presence is coming towards him. He wheels around, and spots the anomaly immediately. Behind him, maybe twenty metres away, he sees another shinobi. He can tell from the start that it is a Konoha shinobi, probably a night patrol. The person is clothed in the standard green shinobi vest, and dark grey pants. Katsu realizes that the patrol has seen him. Most likely, it was his own sudden movement which caused him to be spotted. He curses himself lowly under his breath. The two of them stare at eachother for a second. The other person is a male, tall and lanky, with short, dark blue hair. The darkness of the night obscures most of the Konoha shinobi's facial features, but even under these conditions Katsu can easily see the surprise in the man's eyes.

This silent eye contact only lasts for but a moment, as the other shinobi spins around and kicks off from the ground, making a frantic leap towards the Second Hokage's stone head. Katsu knows the geography of the village well, and he knows that the other shinobi is heading straight for the night guard headquarters, located near the base of the First's head. He can not let this opponent escape, or his whole mission will be a complete and utter failure. Katsu snarls. He will not fail his master.

His hand moves like lightning, his long fingers gripping tightly around Sagirisaku's leather hilt. The sensation is the same as every time he draws his beloved weapon. It feels like someone gives him a hard kick in the back of his head, the world spins violently, and then it feels as if his face is being dunked in icy water. His mind suddenly feels perfectly focussed and clear, like going from sleeping to fully awake in a heartbeat. His chakra is bubbling inside his chest, coursing through both him and Sagirisaku as one. The power flooding through him is incredible. It is both extremely exciting and sickening beyond belief at the same time. His veins are bulging darkly on his chest, his arms, his face, as if fat worms are crawling through his arteries. He can taste bile in his mouth. He smiles. He'll never get completely used to this sensation.

He lifts his weapon, the bandages around it falling off like dry autumn leaves. It is as if the world is moving in slow motion. Katsu squeezes the hilt as tightly as he can with his fingers, trying to resist the urge to let it go. His knuckles turn white, but still he pushes back the bile that threatens to well up from his stomach. The enemy shinobi still leaps through the air, hanging between the two Hokage heads. Katsu swings his blade.

The Konoha Jounin opens his mouth in alarm as he jumps, to shout out over the village and inform the other patrols of this intrusion. But before he has the chance to utter his shout, there is a whistling sound, like a teapot boiling over. Then an invisible wave hits him in the back. His eyes widen in shock and agony, his mouth open but unable to produce any vocal sound. His blood arches through the cold night air, gleaming crimson in the sharp moonlight.

For a moment, the Jounin hangs still in the air, his body spreadeagled and silhouetted darkly against the bright full moon. Slowly, a thin white line is drawn from the top of his head, all the way down to his groin. Then, with a disgusting, gurgling sound, the human body splits, neatly sliced in half. A second later, the two halves hit the side of the Second Hokage's head with a wet, sickening smack.

Katsu slowly resheats his Sagirisaku. His hands are tingling, shaking with the afterglow. Goosebumps pop up all over his muscular arms as his bulging veins shrink back to their normal forms and sizes. He really can't get used to these otherworldly sensations, no matter how many times he feels it. It is just too unnatural. With trembling hands, he slides his sheated weapon horizontally into the straps on his back. After fastening the straps, he looks down at his hand. His fingers are shaking and trembling, even after letting go of the weapon. _Humans are not supposed to wield power like this,_ he muses to himself as he slowly walks towards the edge of the stone head. He peeks down over the edge, a curious smile on his face. Far below, he can see a bloodied hand sticking limply up from a thick thorn-scrub. He's been very lucky. The vegetation is so thick, it will probably take many days before anyone finds the body. By that time, his mission will already be fulfilled, and he will be long gone.

The night is dark and silent. He looks out over the sleeping world one last time. It's all out there. It's there, for him to seize. Nothing or no one can stop him. He grins, as he looks up at the moon, one final time. His white teeth gleam in the weak, eerie light. He has much to do, and much to prove. He must show himself worthy of the trust he has been given, not only for himself. He will honour the practices of his village, the strength of his master, and the memory of his brother. He will rise up to his name, and write it in warm, crimson blood across the sands of the world. From east to west, from south to north, his name with echo far and wide.

The world will tremble in terror before Momochi Katsu.

**To be continued…**

Well, that's another chapter done. Again, I must apologize for the long delay, and also for the relatively short length of this chapter. I will try to make the next one both longer and faster than this one :-)

Anyway, until next time, take care :-P

Haraio


	10. Chapter Ten: Complications

God damn it.

It's official. This time, I failed completely at updating within decent time. Two fucking months without an update T.T I am so sorry. I apologize to everyone who waited patiently for this chapter. At least I have a somewhat valid reason.

Schoolwork's been picking up steadily in the last month, and now in October I have no less than four all-important assignments that I need to hand in before the month ends. So I've been working my ass off with the assignments (I still have two left, but I took some time off to finish this chapter), in addition to all the regular stuff that takes up a lot of my time.

So I don't really know what to say, except that I am very sorry, and I will try to not take two months on the next chapter. My aim is to make it to twelve chapters within the new year, so that I have on average one per month (if only to make me feel a bit less guilty :-P ). Either way, we're now going back to Tayuya and Shikamaru, to satisfy everyone who complained on the last chapter xD

Well, enough leaf-thin excuses, and on to the story. My guess is that most of you have already skipped this and begun with the story already :-P

Disclaimer: No, I do not own Naruto, Tayuya or Shikamaru (nor any other characters for that matter)

**Chapter 10: Complications**

The bright yellow morning sun was slowly ascending its clear blue throne, only a few small, white dots of condensed rain molecules hanging lazily around it. Temperatures were rising steadily across the land as heaven's eye lifted itself from the bosom of the earth, to shine its life-giving gaze down over the land. Below the massive, stone-faced features of the four previous Hokages, the village of Konoha was slowly waking up to a new day. Merchants and shop-owners were already up, readying their sales and stocks for the hustle that was to come. But for the regular villagers, it was still early on another slow day in the peaceful village. But for some, it was just another day of hard work. The worst thing was, they had to wake up very early.

A wide yawn split Kiba's face into a sleepy grimace, and he closed his eyes tightly as his body forced more oxygen into his craving lungs. He was not used to waking up this early. If it was up to him, he would have still been in bed, sleeping peacefully. Sadly, it was not up to him at all. Kurenai-sensei had ordered them to meet her in the forest for morning training, and the black-haired Jounin was not someone you would want to disobey. The Inuzuka boy sighed softly to himself. He could appreciate that Kurenai-sensei wanted them to train, but why did it have to be so early?

Upon sensing its best friend's obvious frustration, the white fur ball inside Kiba's heavy jacket made its presence felt. Akamaru lifted his head out of the opening of Kiba's jacket, and licked his master's chin affectionately. Kiba chuckled softly at the friendly gesture, and scratched the snow-coloured dog thankfully behind the ears. No matter what, Akamaru always managed to make him feel better.

"A-are you sleepy, Kiba-kun?" came the soft voice suddenly from his left, barely more than a hushed speak. Kiba turned his head, to look at his female companion. The Hyuuga heiress was watching him with a friendly smile, her cheeks a pale pink colour. Did she ever lose that blush? Kiba couldn't remember a single time he had seen the timid girl without the faint pink colour being present on her face. She was really the shyest girl Kiba had ever met.

"Yeah, a bit." Kiba admitted with a chuckle, rubbing his dark brown hair with the left hand, his right still scratching his companion's furry white ears. The girl smiled a teeny bit wider, closing her eyes in a cute and pleased expression. Kiba smiled too. Hinata was maybe also the most caring person Kiba had ever met. She was very different from his mother and older sister.

"You shouldn't stay up so long at night watching porn." The next instant Kiba turned the other way, his face a mixture of shock and embarrassment. He shook his fist at the Aburame walking to his right, his blushing cheeks almost matching the colour of his clan tattoos.

"What was that, bastard?! I did not-" Kiba protested loudly, only to be interrupted by Shino lifting his hand, stopping the flow of words coming from the Inuzuka's mouth.

"Don't lie. I know everything that is going on." the Aburame simply said as he lifted his hand, his posture still relaxed and faced forward. He was not even looking at the infuriated Kiba, his eyes entirely focused on the small insect sitting on his index finger. The brown-haired boy opened his mouth, and then closed it slowly, his cheeks turning red. "…Shut up."

Next to Kiba, the Hyuuga heiress turned her face away quickly, to hide the fact that the hue of her face was now suspiciously close to that of a ripe tomato. She had known that Kiba was lying too.

The trio continued on in awkward silence for many minutes. Dozens of houses and shops passed by as they walked in the direction of the large gate which posed the entry to Konohagakure. Hinata felt too uncomfortable to say break the silence, seeing as she had started the topic. Kiba was too embarrassed to say anything. He still couldn't believe that Shino had spied on him. Of course, the Aburame was completely ignorant to the embarrassment he had caused. He kept studying the small creature on the tip of his finger intently, as the trio walked over the open space in front of the massive stone gate. By now, the warmth from the bright sun was starting to become perceptible. Flocks of small birds were flying in the warm morning air, tweeting out in a chorus of sounds. The trio walked out through the huge gate, flanked on either side by the massive doors of solid, dark wood, their leather sandals tapping soundly against the white stone flooring. Shino exchanged a few words with the two Jounins in the gatehouse, in regards to the destination and duration of their leave from the boundaries of the Village, before they moved on.

Kiba finally opened his mouth, intending on breaking the uncomfortable silence that surrounded the three of them. Shino should not think that he would shut up, even with the embarrassing information that had been revealed. But just as he was about to give the Aburame a piece of his mind, Shino interrupted him. The cloaked genin lifted his hand and pointed straight ahead.

"Hey, who is that?" Shino said, his voice unreadable as always. Kiba closed his mouth in surprise, and let his eyes follow in the direction the other boy was pointing. Someone was coming down the road towards Konoha at a brisk jog. The person was running in the typical shinobi style, with arms hanging back and the body tilted forward, a style which ate distances rapidly without tiring the shinobi unnecessarily. The person was perhaps half a kilometer away, and Kiba couldn't tell who it was at this distance. However, it seemed like his teammate could.

"Ano...Isn't that Temari-san?" Hinata suggested mildly, her hand lifted to her brow, shielding her white eyes from the glaring sun. Now that she said it, Kiba could see it too. Or rather, he could see the massive object hanging on the person's back. The blonde Sand-girl was closing on them rapidly. Kiba knew very well who she was. The strong girl had beaten Shikamaru in the chuunin exam matches, and during the disastrous retrieval mission, she had saved the Nara's behind from…

Kiba's eyes widened slightly as a sudden realization came over him. Shikamaru was now hiding the very person Temari had killed (or at least tried to) during that mission. If those two were to somehow meet each other… Kiba did not want to think of the consequences. The only thing he knew for certain, was that things would get very ugly for Shikamaru if that happened. The poor Nara would be in the centre of the worst cat fight in shinobi history.

As the blonde closed the distance between herself and the three genins, she seemingly recognized them, for she slowed down to a gentle jog, and further down to walking speed. Lifting her hand in greeting, she walked the last few meters between them.

"Hi guys." Temari said as she stopped in front of the trio. Her breath was a little faster than normal, and a thin sheet of sweat glazed her suntanned forehead. Her pretty face was framed by four separate pigtails, her hair reminding Kiba of an 'X'. Just like the last time Kiba had seen her, she was clad in a light blue, short-cut kimono, with her Sunagakure forehead protector hanging casually around her neck. And strapped on her back was an oversized iron fan; her weapon of choice as a wind user. How a girl like her could wield the solid iron object so easily was beyond Kiba.

"Are you guys going on a mission?" Temari asked smilingly, after the three of them had given their greetings. Shino shook his head, which was barely visible behind his large, grey coat.

"No, we're just going to our morning training. How about yourself?" He asked, mild curiosity evident in his tone. The blonde girl smiled and lifted her hand, wiping the moisture from her forehead with the back of her palm. "Another diplomatic mission for my village. We're still trying to get back on good footing with Konoha." She said, her smile dropping a tiny bit. They all knew that the relationship between Konoha and Suna was still a little strained. An invasion was not easily forgotten, especially not by the offended part.

"Well, we should be on our way." Kiba suggested, and Temari nodded. "Yeah, I should be going too. I don't want to be late for the meeting with the Hokage." Kiba almost breathed out a sigh of relief. The sooner they got away from the blonde girl, the smaller was the chance of their meeting with Shikamaru and the red-haired girl a few days back being mentioned. He just hoped that neither of his teammates would mention it. Taking the initiative, he began walking. He passed the blonde, who started walking in the opposite direction. His two teammates followed him. Just a little bit more, and Shikamaru's secret would be safe, for the moment.

"By the way, Temari-san, are you picking up your sister too?" Kiba stopped dead in his tracks. He felt like burying his face in his palm. Of course Shino had to say something. Even without turning to see, he could hear Temari turning around, the sound of gravel shifting under her sandals loud to his sensitive ears. He could picture the look of surprise on her face, and groaned to himself. Slowly, he turned around to face the Sand girl.

"My sister?" The blonde asked, confusion very evident in her voice as she looked at the three genins for an explanation.

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

"Hey pineapple-head, toss me an apple!"

Shikamaru sighed as the familiar female voice reached his ears. With a muttered 'troublesome' under his breath, he lifted his hand from the foam-filled sink and grabbed one of the mentioned fruits from the blue ceramic bowl sitting on the counter next to the refrigerator. Then, with a casual flick of his wrist, he tossed the dark green apple towards the couch in the center of the living room. The apple sailed through the air in a perfect arc, and was caught easily in a slender female hand. Tayuya lowered the fruit to her face and scrutinized it momentarily, before she began chewing noisily on it.

Shikamaru watched the redhead with mild interest from his position in the kitchen, studying her from the corner of his eye. The girl was starting to look more a lot healthier than when he brought her in. It most likely had something to do with what she ate. Shikamaru had honestly never seen someone eat so much before. Tayuya would likely have put even Chouji to shame. It puzzled Shikamaru to no little degree. He was well used with girls eating as little as they could, in order to 'maintain their weight'. The flame-haired girl, however, seemed to have no such restrictions. It simply reinforced Shikamaru's impression in that this girl was unlike any other female person he had ever met.

Over on the dark brown leather couch, the red haired Sound girl was well aware of the fact that she was being watched. She could sense the pineapple-head's gaze like a small pinprick in the back of her neck. She didn't care; she felt rather comfortable where she was, and at the moment she didn't bother beating him up for it. Tayuya was reclining on the sofa with her head lying comfortably on the arm rest closest to the kitchen area. She was wearing some of the clothes that she had bought the other day; a pair of dark grey pants and a beige, loose-fitting t-shirt. She chewed absent-mindedly on the apple, as she thought back to the incident a few days back. She had left the Konoha idiot with the bill for her clothes, and he had paid it without much complaint. The thought made her chuckle softly to herself, a little fruit juice spilling down her chin as she did so. It had been fun going to the store with him, she had to quietly admit to herself.

It was now a few days since their eventful trip to the clothing store, and in that time the two of them had, despite their substantial differences and her rapid mood swings, managed to develop a sort of tolerable co-existence. Though, truth to be told, this 'co-existence' merely meant that the two of them tried to avoid each other's presence as much as they possibly could in the small apartment. The only times she really talked to him was when she was hungry.

In the long months Tayuya had spent in the prison, food had been scarce and generally not very nutritious. Thus, it did not become fully apparent to her how hungry she really was until the two of them had returned to Shikamaru's apartment after the clothing shopping. At that point, Tayuya's stomach had let out a growl so loud, that Tayuya was certain she'd scared away every stray cat in the whole neighbourhood. She had felt her cheeks heating up at the uncomfortable silence which had followed, but the pineapple-haired chuunin had not even commented on it. Instead, he had given her a variety of food from his fridge, and watched as she had eaten it all. Tayuya was not exactly sure how much she had eaten; she had asked the boy, and he had replied that she had eaten "two days worth of food". That didn't really tell her much, since she hardly knew how much the boy ate on a regular basis. But the one thing that was clear was that her body was unaccustomed to the amount of food she had eaten. Not even ten minutes later, Tayuya had been kneeling on the bathroom tiles, her head deep in the white ceramic toilet bowl. The raven-haired boy had even offered to hold her hair, to which she had replied, between her fits of loud and violent vomiting, that she would "stick a broom up his rectum and then kick his ass halfway to Otogakure if he touched her". Wisely, the chuunin had decided not to touch her hair, though he had been standing there and watching her until she had emptied out the full contents of her stomach.

After that incident, Tayuya had not thrown up any more after eating, although she was now a bit more careful of not ingest too much in one meal. She favored fruit and other nutritious sources of food, hoping that it would help her regain her physical strength as quickly as possible, so that she could get away from the pineapple-headed bastard. Luckily, the black-haired boy seemed to have sensed her preferences, because he'd bought lots of apples and bananas for her from the nearby market place. Tayuya ate a lot of the former, although she avoided the latter. The bananas simply reminded her too much of her experiences in the Konoha prison, with their rather suggestive shapes.

As Tayuya continued chewing on the slightly sour, green apple, she became increasingly irritated by the gaze that kept drilling into her neck. She was very much aware of the fact that Shikamaru kept staring at her, and she really didn't like it. The words he had spoken in the store the other day still rang clearly in her ears. "I think I… care about you." He had said, completely unexpected. He had simply shocked her into silence when he had uttered those words. How could he possibly care about her? She was the enemy, for fuck's sake! Tayuya's eyebrow twitched slightly in annoyance. That guy was still staring at her, and she was not going to just sit there and take it any longer.

"Will you stop fucking staring at me!" Tayuya yelled out in anger all of a sudden. She sat up in the sofa and turned her body sharply around, facing Shikamaru with furious eyes. Her fists clenched against the brown leather of the sofa as she stared at the black-haired boy. "Why the fuck are you ogling me, you damn shithead?!" she snapped, demanding an answer from the Nara boy.

Shikamaru sighed softly to himself. Why did this girl always have to be so loud? He could already feel the beginning of a headache forming at the sides of his temple. Putting down the plate he had been wiping, Shikamaru turned to face the girl fully. "I was not ogling you, Tayuya." He said slowly, oblivious to the small twitch in the girl's left eyebrow as he spoke her name. "I was just thinking to myself." He explained, his lazy, unenthusiastic eyes meeting her fiery brown ones without hesitation. Tayuya's cheeks turned slightly darker, before she snapped back a sour reply. "Then, what were you thinking about?"

Shikamaru let out another sigh, his hand running slowly through his own black hair. How was he supposed to explain this? He tried as best as he could to search for the most appropriate words for this particular feeling. "I was thinking that…you are different from any other girls I've met." Shikamaru said slowly, realizing only how strange the words sounded when he heard them spoken from his own lips. Tayuya's facial expression told Shikamaru she had also found his words strange. She was staring at him quizzically, as if he had just said that the world was triangular.

Tayuya gawked for a moment at the boy's statement, before she quickly regained her composure. She let out a sarcastic snort and glared sideways at Shikamaru as she leaned against the back support of the leather sofa. "Duh, of course, shithead. It took you this long to figure that out?" She said, lifting her hands to behind her head. But a painful throbbing in her left shoulder suddenly reminded her of the wound she still carried, courtesy of the crossbow bolt she had been shot with during her escape from the prison. Gritting her teeth against the stabbing pain, Tayuya slowly lowered her left arm back to the dark leather under her. She left her right hand behind her head, just to shield her own face from the boy with her arm. She did not want him to see her in pain. She would not show weakness in front of him.

"So," Tayuya said slowly, after a few seconds of silence. "How am I different?" She said the words slowly, quietly, as her fingers fidgeted gently with her own crimson hair. She was curious as to how exactly the boy was perceiving her. She was still puzzled by what he had said a few days earlier, and it haunted her mind continuously. She shifted her lifted arm slightly, allowing her to stare at the boy. "Well?"

Shikamaru met Tayuya's chestnut eyes, aware of the mix of curiosity and demand that exhibited from them. He leisurely put down the plate he had been washing. Shikamaru walked over to the leather sofa and sat down next to Tayuya, who scooted to the side to make some distance between them. Shikamaru leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. He did not look at Tayuya.

"Well, for starters, you seem to eat more freely than other girls." Shikamaru said slowly, thinking back to the incident a few days ago, when Tayuya had eaten so much that she had vomited most of it up not long after. It was completely different from the girls he was used to. Ino, Sakura and Tenten all watched their own weight, and thus they did not eat very much, at least not compared to the redhead next to him.

"And you also seem to prefer different clothing." He said. Of course, he indicated to the fact that Tayuya wore nothing but bland and colourless shirts and pants, which often were a size or two larger to cover her female physique. Shikamaru was more used to Ino and Sakura's style of clothing, in other words more tight-sitting, colourful clothes which showed more skin. Not that he ever looked more at them because of that.

Tayuya was quiet for a few seconds, obviously thinking over the things Shikamaru had said. Shikamaru was still looking straight ahead. He did not really know how she would react to what he had just said, so it came as a surprise to him when he heard her chuckle. It was not a full, cheerful laugh, but it was the closest thing Shikamaru had heard from the foul-mouthed and temperamental Sound girl. He turned his head around, to look at the girl next to him. Tayuya was sitting leaned comfortably against the back support of the leather couch, her eyes closed and head reclined. She looked almost content judging from the small smile on her lips.

"So what you are saying, shithead," Tayuya said, tilting her head forward and looking at Shikamaru, still with a small smirk on her face. "is that the girls you know are all whores?"

Despite her rather crude statement, Tayuya's smirk was getting to Shikamaru. He gave her a small smile.

"Not exactly the word I would use-" he started.

"But you're not denying it?" To Tayuya's delight, Shikamaru gave no immediate answer. He simply sighed and turned back to face the front. Tayuya grinned triumphantly. She absolutely loved winning arguments, and it had been a while since the last time she had won one. She would savor it for all it was worth.

"How are they feeling?" Shikamaru asked suddenly, causing the smile to wipe off a surprised Tayuya's face. She looked at him with puzzlement written clearly over her features. Then she noticed where he was looking. His head was turned halfway towards her, his eyes scanning over her legs. Tayuya huffed and folded her arms over her chest, looking at him with an irritated glare.

"They feel like someone dropped a fuckload of trees on them and then patched them together with some gay-ass shadow jutsu." Tayuya responded sourly, taking some satisfaction from the deep sigh she received in response from the pineapple-head.

Shikamaru did not give any verbal reply to the redhead's words. He sighed softly and begun molding chakra through his system, preparing himself for the technique. He then noticed that Tayuya was looking at him suspiciously, obviously having sensed his chakra.

"I'm going to check on your legs." Shikamaru stated simply as he got down on one knee on the floor. "It's troublesome, but do you mind pulling your pants up?" Of course, he knew the answer to that. He could almost see her hair bristle like on an angry cat. She would definitely mind, but if he knew her well enough she would rather have her legs healed as quickly as possible.

Tayuya glared icily at the boy. He had some fucking nerve, asking her straight out like that to pull up her pants. She felt a strong urge to kick him in the face and wipe the bored facial expression off him. But she _did_ want her legs to heal as fast as possible, so kicking was out of the question. In the end, Tayuya decided that the best course of action would simply be to swallow her humiliation and get it over with. A faint pink colour spread over her cheeks as she reached down and began rolling up the legs of her beige pants, never ceasing her glower at the boy. To her frustration, he was still completely unfazed by her angry look, meeting her eyes calmly.

Tayuya rolled up her pants to the knees, and then she suddenly began facing resistance. It seemed that the thickness of the fabric was working against her, and she couldn't pull it up much higher. Tayuya grabbed the fabric with whitening knuckles, before she looked at the pineapple-head. He was simply watching her with the same apathetic gaze, though she could now see a glint of hidden amusement in his eyes. Tayuya snarled softly under her breath, and let go of the fabric.

"You need to pull them up further. I have to check your thigh bones too." Shikamaru said matter-of-factly, the tone of his making Tayuya's gaze if possible even colder. "Well, I can't pull them up any further, you little shit, so tough luck." Tayuya huffed, and turned her head in the opposite direction, towards the kitchen area.

Shikamaru sighed softly under his breath as the girl turned away. Kami above, the redhead was just getting more and more troublesome by the minute. Shikamaru had always known that girls meant trouble, but after living with the foulmouthed Sound girl for only a few days, he'd realized he had underestimated her troublesome-ness greatly. But he still had to check the healing jutsu, no matter how troublesome the girl proved to be. It would be bad if the bones grew back together in the wrong way.

"Then I guess you'll have to take them off." Shikamaru said, instantly regretting how bluntly he had spoken. The girl sputtered and turned her head towards him, her expression a mixture of surprise and anger.

That little shithead! How dared he ask that from her? The gall he was showing was rendering Tayuya speechless. She could not believe he had just asked her to take off her pants in front of him.

"Go screw yourself!" Tayuya snapped, brushing her rolled-up pants legs down with her hands.

"I need to check your legs, or else I can't be sure they are healing properly." Shikamaru reminded her pointedly. Tayuya ground her teeth in frustration. She could not think of any other way to let him check her legs. Her hands trembled, her fingers digging into the thick material of her beige pants.

"Fine!" she almost screamed in Shikamaru's face, as she stood up and pulled her pants all the way down to her ankles, before sitting down with a displeased grunt. She'd make sure to pay the bastard back for all the humiliation once her legs were fully healed. She would make him suffer for hours just for this.

Satisfied with the now unhindered access, Shikamaru set to work with his hands. He let his palms skim over Tayuya's pearly white skin, only a hair width from touching the girl's thigh. His hands moved slowly up her thighs, almost all the way up before stopping and moving back down again. All the while, hair-thin tendrils of chakra eased through the skin of Tayuya's thighs.

Tayuya had to fight the impulse to pull back as the boy's hands ran over her thighs. Her brain was screaming at her to punch him, but she fought it back with a silent curse. If he touched her, she would definitely kick his ass. So far, he was not touching her, although her skin was tingling all over from the close proximity of his hands. The redhead wrenched her eyes from his hands, and focussed intently on his face, though she could still feel the damned prickling on her thighs.

As she watched the boy doing his stuff, she realized that she had not really looked at him closely before. Every time her eyes had fallen on him, she had either been occupied with kicking his ass or cussing his ears out. She looked at his hair, the raven colour pulling her gaze insistently towards it. She remembered the other day, when she had walked in on him in the bathroom. He'd had his hair down, reaching down to his shoulder. Tayuya could not understand why he had his hair put up in this ridiculous hair style instead, when it looked so much better straight down. She also remembered how surprisingly muscular the boy was. It really did not show through his clothes, she mused, as she looked at the boy. There was more to him than she had first realized, she had to admit to herself.

Beads of perspiration were forming on Shikamaru's brow as he continued pushing his chakra into the girl's legs. It was imperative that the tendrils were thin enough to penetrate the skin without doing any damage to it, and it took a lot of concentration to use this technique. It was a highly advanced clan technique his father had taught him, and only his enhanced intellect allowed him to use it properly. That said, it was a very effective technique for those who had next to no knowledge in medical jutsus, such as himself. Thus, it was the only real option he had to treat Tayuya's injuries. He could not heal her directly, but at least his technique could support and enhance the natural curing ability of her body. Shikamaru just hoped it would be enough to restore her bones.

Even as his concentration was mainly on the difficult operation he was performing, he became aware of the fact that Tayuya was staring at him. He smiled slightly to himself. Somehow, he enjoyed the fact that she was following his every move. Maybe now she would be more thankful towards him. To be honest, Shikamaru doubted it, but there was nothing wrong with hoping. He lifted his head and gave the red-haired girl a sideways glance and a smile.

"Seeing anything interesting, Tayuya?" he asked, which made the girl visibly startle. Shikamaru could see her brown eyes moving up rapidly, to meet his own. Their eyes met for a few seconds, and Shikamaru realized that those chestnut eyes were actually kind of pretty. He had never really thought about it before, and the thought was a bit confusing to him. Shikamaru broke the eye contact, and moved his eyes quickly to his hands, to focus on the technique as his hands moved up to the top of Tayuya's thighs. Or at least, that was the plan. His gaze stopped halfway there, locked in place against his will.

He had not really noticed earlier, but the flame-haired Sound girl was wearing underwear. That fact in itself was perhaps not so peculiar; Shikamaru doubted she would have taken her pants off without anything under. But Shikamaru had perhaps expected something a bit more... Tayuya-ish. Covering the girl's crotch was a pair of bright, white panties, made from cotton as far as Shikamaru could tell and with a thin line of decorative frills all around the outer edge. He smirked to himself in amusement. Somehow he had anticipated something which was more in line with Tayuya's tomboy image. His smirk widened slightly. The girl didn't cease to surprise him in new ways.

Tayuya must have noticed his amusement, because Shikamaru could see her body tensing.

"What is so funny, shithead?" Tayuya demanded to know. Shikamaru smiled slightly and met the girl's eyes for the second time in just a few minutes.

"Oh, nothing much." He said lazily, as his hands moved slowly down Tayuya's thighs and past her knees, still pumping thin streams of chakra into her legs. "I just figured you'd be more the type for plain, black briefs." Shikamaru could see the surprise on the redhead's face. It took a moment for the words to process in the girl's brain, but then the effect was immediate. Blood pumped to Tayuya's face, her cheeks taking on a fierce crimson colour which almost matched her fiery hair.

"You little shit!" Tayuya yelled, her eyes like daggers as she leaned her torso forward, swinging her right fist at Shikamaru's head. But Shikamaru had expected the reaction, and shifted fluidly out of her reach, which was pretty short considering the position of her legs. He did not even break the pace of his technique, calmly continuing checking the girl's damaged legs. Tayuya was about to lift her left fist for a second strike, but Shikamaru stopped her.

"Let me finish here, and then you can punch me if you want to." He said calmly, giving her a sideways smile as his hands skimmed slowly over her badly bruised legs. Tayuya froze, before she sank back in the sofa with a poisonous glare. He was right, of course. Better to let him finish, rather than risking damage to her legs if she interrupted his jutsu.

"You perverted bastard." She muttered, resigning herself to waiting. This would go into the top five spot on her list of things she would make him pay for once she was fully healed. She would just have to be patient, and she would get her revenge sooner or later. It was just a matter of time.

The next few minutes passed in relative silence, as neither of the teenagers had anything pressing on their mind which they wanted to share. The peace remained until the black-haired chuunin finally removed his hands from Tayuya's calf. But still, the odd tingling sensation in her skin remained. Tayuya guessed it was just from having so much chakra pushed through her skin. Still, the feeling set her nerves on end. She needed something to relieve her tension. She looked at Shikamaru as he stood up, the chakra slowly dissipating from his fingers.

"Your legs seem to be healing well Tayuya." He said calmly and dusted off his hands, even though he had not really touched anything. Tayuya smirked at him.

"Well, that's good to know." She said as she cracked her knuckles. "Now come closer and let me punch you, you little pervert." To her disappointment, the boy didn't move, though he muttered something which Tayuya thought was "I'm not little, troublesome woman", but she did not really care. If he wouldn't come to her, she would have to come to him. Tayuya stood up, punching her right fist into her left palm. Now the pervert would pay for ogling her underwear. She would-

RING!!

Tayuya startled at the loud, shrill noise, and it took her a few heart-pounding seconds to realize that it was the doorbell which had sounded. By that time, the boy had, to Tayuya's frustration, already disappeared into the small hallway which connected the living room and the front door, on his way to answer the door. Tayuya cursed softly to herself. _Patience, Tayuya, patience!_ She mentally scolded herself.

Shikamaru breathed a small sigh of relief as he walked towards the front door. _Saved by the bell_, he thought to himself as he twisted the door handle, oblivious to the fact that the girl standing in the living still had her beige pants down on her ankles. No matter what was behind the door, it could not possible be worse than facing Tayuya's violence-inducing anger.

**To be continued...**

Phew. I finally managed to finish this. Took me quite some time, and again I apologize. I really did not want it to take this long :-( I cannot make any promises as to when the next chapter will be finished. I have about one month left until the exams start, but I will try to write the next chapter in between my studying. Wish me luck.

Once again, I need to thank all of you people who wait patiently for my updates, and I appreciate every single review that I get. If I get a review, it makes all my work worth it :-) So don't be shy to post a review, even if it's just to say that you like it or not.

Until next time, take care :-)

Haraio


	11. Chapter 11: Felines

Hey hey everyone, I'm back again :-) And this time it did not take two months for me to update, which I am very glad for. I hate keeping you all waiting, because I know that many of you are excited to see what happens.

That is not to say that I did not have problems while writing this chapter. The main challenge I faced was that half way through the chapter, the C:-driver on my laptop broke down and I had to wipe everything off my laptop. Luckily, my girlfriend had a recent draft of the story, so it didn't put me back more than a couple of days. Still, it's very annoying to start with a clean PC. Not only did I lose half a year of school assignments and lecture notes, and bookmarks (and if you know me, you'll know I suck at remembering the passwords to the 50+ websites I frequent -_-''). I also lost all my games, saves, pictures, videos, songs, drawings, drafts for future fanfics and lots of other things. Argh, very irritating.

Secondly, just a few things:  
- There is now a second fanfic by me, which is kind of a side-fanfic to this one. Simply click my author name and you will find it on my profile^^  
- Also, I now have a DeviantArt account, with a few amateur Tayuya drawings I made :D Simply search for 'Haraio' on DeviantArt ;)

Okay, enough with my ranting, and onwards to the fanfic. It's time to see who is behind Shikamaru's secret door ;-)

As always, all kudos to my girlfriend Natasja for proofreading, offering advice and generally being her usual supportive self :-D

Disclaimer: I still do not own Naruto. Damn it :-P

**Chapter 11: Felines**

Nara Shikamaru's fingers curled gently around the solid metal as he pushed the door handle down, a soft click sounding as he opened the door. As the door slid open to reveal the person standing outside, Shikamaru's eyes widened in surprise. Shikamaru did not often have visitors, and the person currently standing in front of him was perhaps the one he had least expected. It was also the most inconvenient person to have visiting at the moment.

In front of Shikamaru stood a familiar, blonde girl, clad in a low-cut, light blue kimono. She looked at him with an expressionless face, her eyes as always slightly intimidating to the young boy. Perhaps even more intimidating was the massive steel object she carried easily on her back. It was a battle fan, and Shikamaru knew well from experience what kind of damage the thing was capable of doing. He had been on the receiving end of it himself, and he had also seen it used to deadly effect on the redhead who was currently residing in his very apartment.

"Hi Temari." Shikamaru greeted the girl, taking care not to act suspicious. The girl gave an equally short greeting, still looking at him with the same facial expression. It kind of made Shikamaru feel uneasy. He did not know why the girl was here, but he had his suspicions. Had Kiba told on him? Shikamaru doubted it; Kiba was a very trustworthy person. But the fact was that the Sand girl was at his apartment nonetheless.

"So, what is the occasion you're here?" he asked, faking ignorance, hoping frenetically that this visit would be for a completely trivial reason, for example that she needed a guide around the village or something similar.  
"When I arrived here earlier today, I met some of your friends." Temari said, giving Shikamaru a sinking feeling in his stomach. He could certainly guess who Temari had met. Damn it, this was going to be troublesome. How would he wriggle his way out of this?

**Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Tayuya snorted in irritation. She was now alone in the living room, while that bastard answered the door. She was not the type of person who took it easily when ignored in favour of someone else, and now she was really being ignored. The bastard had not even had the decency to let her finish her swearing before he disappeared. Strangely, she now felt really awkward standing there alone in the middle of the living room. The apartment suddenly felt that much bigger. It was so much easier, Tayuya realized, when the pineapple-head was there. When he was nearby, she had someone to focus on, to swear at and vent on. Now, by herself, she had no such luxury. With him gone, her mind was allowed to drift into places she really did not want to go.

Why was he taking so long, anyway? Tayuya was getting seriously impatient. He had been gone for almost a minute already. She wondered who was at the door. Maybe it was that dog-lover, or that freaky trench-coat guy? Tayuya was getting really curious. She could hear the pineapple-head talking to the person at the door, but she couldn't pick up the other voice. Tayuya bared her teeth slightly; she wanted to know who it was, damn it! The curiosity was killing her.

Tayuya had had enough with waiting. Slowly, she lifted her right hand to the side of her mouth. She knew that the smartest thing in this situation would probably be to stay still and not reveal her presence, but she hardly cared at this point. Her curiosity was getting the best of her. Besides, it could be fun to watch the bastard fluster and try to explain who she was. Tayuya could use a laugh. Her whole situation was so messed up it was almost ridiculous. She had escaped against all odds from prison, and now found herself living with the person she despised the most. And she actually missed his presence! It was completely absurd.

So Tayuya drew her breath slowly, before she yelled out on top of her voice, grinning menacingly as she did so.  
"Hey Shika, who is it?" she yelled, using a shorter, more intimate form of the name she remembered from the back of her head. Now she would just sit back and watch the fun commence. Now whoever was at the front door would think that the idiot had gotten himself a girlfriend. Which of course was not true, but it was still amusing as hell. Tayuya giggled menacingly to herself.

It was about at that moment, while she stood there laughing quietly to herself, that she noticed a fact which had so far passed her straight by. A single gust came from the half-open window in the back of the room, and grazed across her skin. Tayuya felt the tingle on her thighs, and looked down in surprise. Her brown eyes duly widened in surprise, as she looked down at her naked legs. Her dark grey pants were still in a pile around her ankles. The redhead cursed to herself and reached down, pulling her pants back up, her cheeks darkening slightly. How could she possibly have forgotten to get dressed again?

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

"How did you find my house?" Shikamaru asked, and Temari shook her head with an irritated expression on her face. "I asked the Lady Hokage for directions after our meeting was over." Temari stated simply, easily recognizing the black-haired boy's attempt at changing the subject.

"What is this talk about 'my sister'? You know well that I have no sisters." Temari said, poking Shikamaru roughly in the chest with her finger. Shikamaru grunted, but said nothing. How could he possibly explain the current situation to the girl in front of him? No matter how, this would surely end in chaos.

"Hey Shika, who is it?" Both teens froze as the yell reached their ears. Shikamaru paled noticeably as blood drained from his face. That stupid girl! What in the world was she thinking? Temari simply stared at him, her expression filled with surprise and confusion. Shikamaru sweat dropped. _Oh shit._

Before Shikamaru could react, the blonde Sand girl had pushed past him, shoving him roughly out of the way and was on her way into the living room. Shikamaru stumbled against the wall, realizing he had no way to stop her from entering. He dreaded what would come next. The blonde girl then stopped in the opening to the living room, and Shikamaru knew that the shit had finally hit the fan, so to speak.

Temari had forced her way past the annoying black-haired brat, intending to find out who he had called 'her sister'. As she entered the living room, she stopped dead in her tracks. In front of her, standing in the centre of the sunlit room, stood a half-dressed girl. As Temari watched, the girl pulled up her pants, hurriedly covering up a pair of frilly white undies. Temari recognized the girl immediately. The cardinal colour of her hair was a dead giveaway.

By now, the other girl had become aware of the presence of Temari, and had lifted her gaze to meet the blonde's. Two surprised pairs of eyes met each other across the room, and both girls stared silently at the other with expressions of outmost surprise written clearly across their faces. Temari was gawking slightly, her eyes wide as she stared at the redhead she was sure she had killed back in the forest. Tayuya's mouth was slightly open, her right eyebrow raised in a sort of surprised grimace. Shikamaru entered the room behind Temari, and stopped, immediately feeling the syrup-thick tension in the room.

Then, as suddenly as an exploding tag, the tension detonated. Both girls cried out in surprise and anger, and lifted a trembling index finger towards the other.

"YOU?!" Temari and Tayuya screamed in unison, their eyes wide in disbelief at the person standing in front of them. Tayuya could hardly believe it. The very person who was responsible for crushing her body under half a dozen trees was standing right in front of her. If it had not been for the blonde slut, Tayuya wouldn't have had to spend over a month being raped and abused in prison. Anger began boiling hotly inside Tayuya, and her muscles tensed in preparation for the violence to come. She would kill the bitch. Tayuya would strangle the blonde bitch with her own two hands.

Likewise, Temari was also shocked at the identity of the girl standing in front of her. Only a month earlier, Temari had beaten the redhead in battle and crushed her frail body under half a forest, and now the Sound girl was seemingly living with the pineapple-head! It did not make any sense to the Sand girl. She would not have thought that the black-haired genius would be one to throw away his loyalty to his own village so easily. He did not seem like the type.

Speaking of Shikamaru, the Nara had noticed the obvious hostility between the two females, and wisely stepped between the two of them before they came to blows, or worse. Shikamaru stood sideways between them, Temari to his left and Tayuya to the right. He gazed from one female to the other, his eyes serious. Both Tayuya and Temari stared at him incredulously, their eyes saying "Why are you defending _her_?!" Shikamaru just sighed and rubbed the back of his head with a hand.

"How about we all try to calm down?" he suggested, sensing the tension in the two females. Neither of them answered him, and neither of them relaxed any. The two girls simply continued glaring at each other, throwing each other poisonous looks over Shikamaru's shoulders.

"You." Tayuya whispered dangerously, her chestnut coloured eyes throwing sharp daggers at the blonde girl. "You are the reason I spent a month in fucking prison. You are to blame for all the abuse I've endured so far. I'm gonna slit your throat, even if it's the last thing I do." The blonde girl simply glared back, seemingly unfazed by the direct threat to her life.

"I thought I had killed you off, redhead." Temari said slowly, as she watched the Sound girl carefully. Her hand lingered on the hilt of her solid steel fan, ready to draw it on a moment's notice. To her surprise, the red-haired girl just laughed.

"You didn't do a good enough job last time, bitch." Tayuya snarled, a smirk on her pale lips as she continued her glaring match with the Sand girl.

"I better correct my mistake, then." Temari retorted swiftly, anger in her voice as her hand gripped the large steel object on her back. In a single fluid motion, Temari drew her fan, the relatively weak gust of wind from the fan opening still strong enough to knock some framed pictures down from the wall to her right. Before the wooden picture frames had even hit the oak floor, Tayuya too had her new steel flute in her hand, which had been hidden in one of the numerous pockets on her new, dark grey pants.

But just as both girls looked ready to turn Shikamaru's tidy apartment into a blood-soaked battleground, their bodies ceased to function. With cries of outrage and surprise, both females suddenly discovered that they could not move a single limb. They were as frozen in place. Furthermore, both females instantly recognized the particular sensation. Tayuya and Temari had both experienced this exact same thing before.

Shikamaru exhaled slowly as he lowered his hands, releasing his fingers from the hand seal he had formed. He noted with some satisfaction that both girls were now trapped by his **Kage Mane no Jutsu(1)**, which meant that neither would be going anywhere unless Shikamaru let them. And the chances that he would let any of them move a muscle before they had calmed down substantially were pretty slim. Opening his palms, he heard the satisfying sound of Temari's heavy fan smashing heavily into the floor, together with the small 'ping' as Tayuya's flute did the same. But now that they could no longer get physical with each other, the girls immediately found another way to show their deep-running hatred towards one another.

"Sound Bitch!" The blonde girl yelled, her red-haired nemesis quickly following up.

"Sand Whore!"

"Cunt!"

"Slut!"

"Pussy!"

"Cocksucker!"

Shikamaru sighed heavily as the foul words began flying back and forth, with him in the centre of the crossfire. Both females were screaming at the top of their lungs, their glares dripping with poison as they eyed the other. Shikamaru could only imagine what the neighbours must think of all the screaming originating from his apartment. Deciding that the two of them would not stop the foul-mouthed shouting match unless he did something, Shikamaru lifted his right hand. Temari and Tayuya unwillingly mirrored his movement, and the flow of words from their lips was effectively muffled as Shikamaru clamped his hand tightly over his own mouth. For half a minute, the only sounds that could be heard in the small apartment were the muted yells and shouts from the two girls. When they realized that their screams had no effect anymore, the girls gradually quieted down, though their eyes become if possible even colder.

When the girls had both stopped yelling, Shikamaru finally removed his hand slowly from his mouth. As neither female immediately began screaming nor shouting immediately, he felt it was safe to lower his hand completely. Both girls mirrored his movement, their poisonous eyes still locked on each other. Shikamaru sighed to himself. Girls were really troublesome sometimes.

Temari was the first of the girls to break the silent glaring match, earning a small smirk of triumph from her red-haired nemesis. The blonde Sand girl turned her dark green eyes to Shikamaru, not giving him much more warmth than she had given Tayuya, which was none.

"Why the hell are you helping her, Shikamaru? She's the enemy!" Temari said, her voice trembling with barely restrained anger. Shikamaru couldn't really blame her. The Sand Village had been tricked by the Sound Village into attacking Konohagakure, and it was very easy, and perhaps most natural, to blame Sound shinobi like Tayuya for the numerous casualties Konoha and Suna had suffered.

But the Sand girl could not possibly understand. Temari had a one-sided view of Tayuya. To her, Shikamaru guessed, Tayuya was most likely just another 'evil' shinobi who could not possibly deserve to live. It would be like putting to death a ferocious monster. But Shikamaru had seen the girl behind the fierce mask. He had witnessed briefly the vulnerable and wounded human being inside, which probably no one else had been aware of or acknowledged.

"I found her badly wounded in an alley, so I'm giving her medical treatment." Shikamaru answered calmly, which was kind of an overstatement. He did not have much more than standard medical training, so there was really very little he could do except patching her up and waiting for her to heal naturally. But of course, the Sand girl did not need to know that.

"You found her in an alley?" Temari asked incredulously, her dark green eyes sceptical as she looked at Shikamaru. As far as Temari knew, enemy shinobi were always imprisoned if captured. "Shouldn't she be in..." Temari begun, before a realization came to her. She stared at Shikamaru, her eyes wide open. "Did you bust her out of prison?" She asked, disbelief heavily tainting her voice.

Shikamaru simply shook his head.

"Do you think I'm stupid? Anyone could recognize me, and they would catch me in minutes. I don't know how she did it," Shikamaru said, turning his head to look at the flame-haired girl to his right. Her chestnut eyes turned from Temari to himself, the expression on her face a mixture of confusion and irritation. "But she broke out of the prison on her own." When he said this, Temari simply snorted.

"I guess we couldn't expect more from Konoha." Temari said stingingly, as she looked at Tayuya. "They couldn't even keep a slutty Sound whore secure." At those words, Tayuya bristled visibly. Temari ignored the obvious sign of the Sound girl's anger, and continued staring intently at Shikamaru.

"So what's in it for you? What is she offering you?" Temari said, before turning her eyes once again to the redhead, her gaze turning to one of obvious disgust as she spoke, as if the next words passing her lips gave her a bad taste in her mouth.

"She's paying you with her body, isn't she?"

Tayuya simply gawked at the unexpected question, Shikamaru's expression not entirely different, his eyebrows lifted and mouth half open. But whereas Tayuya was for once out of words from sheer surprise, Shikamaru at least had enough control over his tongue to say something intelligent.

"Eh?"

"Don't 'Eh?' me." Temari snapped in irritation, annoyed that the Konoha boy tried to play stupid on her. "I saw that slut getting dressed." She said bluntly, turning her head towards Tayuya, to see a look of realization dawning on the redhead's face. Temari's voice was practically dripping with revulsion. "You've just done it, haven't you?" At those words, Tayuya did something unexpected. She burst out laughing. Temari and Shikamaru simply stared dumbfounded at her as the redhead broke down into a laughing fit. Neither of them had seen the girl smile much, and much less laughing. As the Sound girl's amused laughter died down, she gave the blonde an incredulous smirk.

"Do you really think I'm doing it with _him_?" she asked, her toothy grin suddenly widening. "And what if I am? Are you jealous, you whore?" The blonde bit back a venomous reply, her cheeks darkening, not intending to let Tayuya pull her into another verbal fight. The only reply she gave the redhead was a hate-filled glare.

Shikamaru sighed heavily as the females returned to their status quo glaring match. The boy ran his hand droopily through his black hair, half realizing that he made the two girls do the same thing. He gave Tayuya an annoyed look, the kind that said 'be quiet and let me handle this'. Tayuya's responding glare only said 'make me' or 'fuck you', whichever you preferred. Shikamaru then turned his gaze to the annoying blonde opposite Tayuya.

"Temari, we are not 'doing it'." Shikamaru begun, his tone filled with obvious distaste towards the scenario that the Sand girl had painted. Temari snorted in scepticism, meeting the boy's lazy gaze. "And she is not paying me anything either, unless you count black eyes..." Now that he said it, Temari noticed that the skin around his eyes was a hint darker than the rest. Obviously, the red-haired slut was as violent as ever.

"And why should I believe this?" Temari pressed, unsatisfied with the answers she had gotten from the Konoha chuunin. "How can I know that she's not forcing you, or that she hasn't put a genjutsu on you?" Both were plausible scenarios, and she and the black-haired chuunin both knew this. Shikamaru shook his head gently in irritation, and released Tayuya from his shadow's grip. Temari immediately gave an outcry of disbelief, while Tayuya simply stared in surprise at Shikamaru. _What the hell is he doing?! _Temari thought to herself. The redhead would surely kill them both now that she was free.

Tayuya, while confused over the pineapple-head's action, had the same general idea as the blonde girl. She wanted revenge, and now she had the chance, with the bitch being immobilized by the boy's technique. But before Tayuya could put her threats into action, Shikamaru fixed her with his eyes.

"You wouldn't mind going into my room, Tayuya?" he asked, though his tone suggested that it was not so much a question as a declaration. "I need to talk to Temari under four eyes."

Tayuya glared at him, her lower lip quivering slightly. A tiny stinging sensation was making itself felt in her chest from being dismissed so easily. It felt like small needles stung her lungs incessantly. Tayuya bent down awkwardly and seized her flute quickly, before stuffing it into the pocket she had withdrawn it from.

"Fine! Do whatever you want, shithead." She snapped, throwing Temari a hate-filled glower before stomping off towards Shikamaru's room and slamming the door soundly shut. Shikamaru winced weakly against the noise. What was her problem? A lot of things, it seemed, seeing how angry she was all the time. Well, he would deal with the troublesome redhead later. Right now, he had other problems. Turning his eyes to Temari, he finally released his shadow from hers, allowing her back the control over her own body. His eyes met hers, and he exhaled slowly. He didn't even know he had been holding his breath.

"We really need to talk." He said, kind of needlessly. Temari just nodded her head slowly.

**Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Having slammed the door shut as hard as she possibly could simply from spite, Tayuya threw herself on the big bed, ignoring the sting of pain in her left shoulder as she landed on Shikamaru's bed. At this point though, she couldn't care less whom exactly the bed belonged to. She glared hard into the ceiling, as if expecting her gaze to drill a hole straight through the wooden boards. This was not completely implausible, as fierce as her chestnut eyes were. In anger, Tayuya slammed her fist onto the mattress at her side. _Damn him!_ Her other hand repeated the movement, a little harder. _Damn him to hell!_ Tayuya gritted her teeth, squeezed her eyes shut and turned violent on the poor mattress. Lying on her back, she pounded it with her fists and kicked it with her heels, bouncing slightly up and down from her own violent movements. _Fuck you fuck you fuck you!_ She mentally screamed, her furious anger directed at the boy whose bed she was currently beating the stuffing out of.

How dared that bastard simply push her to the side like that?! He had some fucking nerves to think that he could just tell her to go to his room, so that he could spend some time with his slutty girlfriend. They were probably plotting against her at this very moment. Tayuya stopped her wild thrashing on the bed, and simply lay there, quietly. To her irritation, the hollow stinging sensation in her chest still persisted. Why the hell was she feeling like this? She didn't know, but she didn't like it one bit. She felt so weak, despite having eaten more in the last few days than she had eaten during her entire month in prison. So why did she feel so powerless?

As she lay there on the bed, staring up into the ceiling, she became aware of a fact she had not noticed before. The big bed was soft. Really, really soft. It was possibly the softest bed Tayuya had ever laid on. She could not remember ever having felt anything so comfortable. Not in the Sound Village, nor anywhere else. Heck, it was even better than what she faintly remembered from her long-lost childhood. Tayuya smiled slightly, and stretched herself out over the bed, trying to occupy as much of it as possible. Damn it, this was actually kind of nice. For a moment, Tayuya forgot completely about the pineapple-head and his bitchy girlfriend. She closed her eyes softly, making herself a mental note to go and disturb the other two in just a few minutes.

**Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

"Okay, would you mind telling me what the hell is going on?" Temari asked straight out, impatience heavily tainting her voice. Shikamaru sighed, annoyed that he had to repeat himself, and turned his head to look at the blonde. They were both sitting in the sofa, about one metre apart. Occasionally, Temari would throw glances at her fan, which still laid on the floor a few metres from her.

"I already told you. I found her, wounded, and decided to help her." Shikamaru said dryly, his tone serious as he met Temari's dark green eyes. "Even if she is an enemy, I will not leave a woman to die." Temari just snorted in disbelief at the statement. Shikamaru looked at her. "There is nothing wrong with having a sense of honour." Shikamaru stated pointedly. He had always shown respect towards women, no matter if they were allies or enemies.

"You're a shinobi. That sense of honour is going to get you killed one day." Temari said slowly, emphasizing the word 'killed' as she stared at him. "It would have in the forest the other time, if I hadn't saved your ass." She reminded him. Shikamaru didn't need that reminder. He knew perfectly well that he had been in trouble at that time. "Because of your honour," She said the last word with distaste. "You went easy on her back then, and now you are doing the same mistake again."

Shikamaru didn't answer. He simply turned his head forward and stared into the wall. Temari was right, of course. Back then, he had not been able to get himself to strangle the redhead, even when he had a grip on her with his technique. He could have choked her to death at that point. But he had not. He just could not kill a woman in cold blood. Whether that was a weakness or strength, Shikamaru was not so sure of. Temari was of course on the former opinion, but then again the blonde had had no hesitation in razing half the forest over Tayuya. They were simply different. That was all.

Temari shook her head in irritation, and rose to her feet. Shikamaru looked up at her, and watched as the blonde retrieved her fan from the floor and strapped the heavy object to her back. Then she turned and faced him.

"You know I can't keep this secret." She said simply, a small apology residing in her serious, dark green eyes. Shikamaru gave a slow nod, and Temari continued. "I'll give you the chance to reveal the truth yourself. Your punishment might be reduced then." Strangely, that did very little to cheer Shikamaru up. He would be punished either way, and most likely branded as a traitor. Not a very happy prospect. He stared sombrely at the Sand girl as she spoke.

"I have a few more meetings with the Lady Hokage, so I'm leaving in two days." She informed, her tone of voice telling Shikamaru that he now officially had two days time to find a genius solution. Not a lot of time to safe his own skin and Tayuya's to boot. Temari studied him for a few seconds, but when he didn't answer, she turned and walked towards the front door, stopping in the opening.

"Good luck." She said softly, before opening the door and walking out, leaving Shikamaru alone in the living room.

**Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

For once, Shikamaru had absolutely no idea what to do. He now had very limited time, and seemingly no way to get out of this mess. He should have been regretting ever saving the red-haired girl. But he didn't. He did not regret the decision that he had made. It had felt like the right thing to do back then, and he still believed he had done the right thing under the circumstances. Now he just had to find a genius solution, or else he would be trialled and Tayuya would go back to prison. The easiest solution would of course be to just let Tayuya leave the village and pretend like nothing had happened. The only problem was that Tayuya was nowhere near fully healed. It would be maybe a week or so until she would be fit enough to be able to make a run for it. The heart of the problem was, they didn't have a week. His mind twisted back and forth, going through possible courses and scrapping them one after the other.

Shikamaru sighed softly to himself. Why couldn't life sometimes be more like Shogi or chess? There you had a perfect overview of everything you needed to know, and a solution was always possible to find, no matter the odds. He didn't have that luxury in his life. He didn't have a perfect overview of this chaotic situation, and he sure as hell couldn't see any obvious solutions. He shook his head slowly. Now he was just torturing himself. Slowly, he got up, and glanced towards the window on the other side of the room. He realized suddenly that the sunlight was quickly waning outside, the sun having long since begun its descent. Unbeknown to him, he had been sitting there for almost an hour already. And it abruptly dawned on him that he had not heard a single word from the redhead during that time.

"I guess I better go and check on her." He muttered softly to himself, not really enjoying the prospect. He walked over to his bedroom door, and opened it slowly. He was about to say Tayuya's name out loud, to get her attention, but stopped himself just in time. He sight that met him was one he did not expect, and he couldn't help a small smile from forming on his lips. The normally fierce Tayuya was lying sprawled out on his bed, an almost peaceful look on her face. Her mouth was half open, allowing a quiet snore to slip past her pink lips. Shikamaru entered quietly and closed the door slowly behind him, taking care not to make any unnecessary noises. He did not want to disturb the sleeping girl. She simply looked too peaceful.

_Without that angry expression on your face, you're actually kind of cute, _Shikamaru mused to himself, the smile still on his lips as he looked at the sleeping girl. The characteristic lock of crimson hair was still lying between her eyes, her flowing red hair spread out under her head. Her chest heaved slowly up and down in soft breaths, telling Shikamaru that she was fast asleep. Slowly and carefully, Shikamaru kneeled on the bed next to the sleeping girl. He gently pushed his hands under her knees and her back, just like he had done in the alleyway a few days back. Once again careful not to put unnecessary stress on her wounded shoulder, he shifted the girl to the side, further in towards the wall. When there was enough space on the bed for him to lie down, he lowered her gently down on the bed. Luckily, his bed was pretty big, wide enough for both of them to share it without getting too intimate. Just as he was removing his hands, Tayuya mumbled something inaudible in her sleep and rolled over on her good shoulder, facing Shikamaru. The Nara just had the time to pull his hands back to avoid them being trapped under the girl's slender body. He smiled slightly. She was perhaps even cuter now, with her head hanging slightly down on the pillow and her mouth just a tiny bit open. The red lock of hair had fallen to the side, revealing her normally-hidden, slim nose bridge. If anything, it gave her face a more... complete look.

Having taken off all off his clothes except his dark green briefs and his shirt, Shikamaru lowered himself slowly and carefully down on the bed, still trying his best not to wake the sleeping female with any sudden movements. He lay down on his back, making sure to keep as respectable a distance as possible between them, and turned his head to face the flame-haired girl.

"Good night, you troublesome girl." He whispered with a small smile, before closing his eyes and embracing the night. Soon, he too was fast asleep.

**To be continued...**

Hurray! It did not take me much more than a month to update this :-D I'm happy that I managed to finish this before my exams begin in earnest, and I hope you all enjoyed this. I don't know when the next chapter will be up, but hopefully I'll have it up before New Year (though I'm not promising anything). It would be really sweet if I could get it up on the 28th of December (this fanfic's one year anniversary), but as I said, there's simply too many uncertainties for me to promise anything.

Either way, I hope you'll all stick around on the New Year too. Things are about to pick up :-P

Until next time, take care.

Haraio

Jutsu Notes:

(1) **Kage Mane no Jutsu** – Shadow Manipulation Technique


	12. Chapter 12: Playing the Game

Damn it!!! T.T

This is much later than I had hoped for. I just kept running into one problem after the other, which delayed this chapter to no end. First was of course Christmas, which kept me from spending too much time writing, since I had to work AND spend time with my family. And when I was finally approaching some kind of completeness, my laptop did like any good Pokèmon does when I play Pokèmon Stadium; it took a critical hit and fainted. Yes, my C: driver crashed again, losing me about one week's worth of progress. Luckily, I had a six hour train trip this Thursday, so I somehow managed to catch up with everything. Of course, the fact that Natasja once again had a recent draft of this chapter helped immensely ;D

I honestly can't believe I've been writing this story for so long. As of 28th of December, this story has been online for one year. I can't thank you all enough for encouraging me to write more. It means a whole lot to me. Don't worry, no matter how long it takes I will write this story to the very end. And after that, who knows? A sequel, perhaps? ;-)

So, without further excuses, here is finally the 12th chapter of New Life of the Sound Demon :-)

Oh, and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone :-D

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Tayuya or Shikamaru :-P

**Chapter 12:** Playing the Game

Dreams are a strange thing. You have them all the time, but when you wake up you might or might not remember them clearly. There is a wonderful strangeness in the way they are so clear one minute, and in the next you have forgotten them completely. But whether you remember them or not, they are always good or bad. In poor Tayuya's case, she rarely had any good dreams during her times of sleep.

At the moment, the red-haired Sound girl had a very familiar nightmare, which she really, really wanted to wake up from. She was on her back on the soggy ground of an unreal forest, propped up on her elbows. Cold, wet mud ran icily down her back, making goose bumps pop up all over her light skin. The mud squelched wetly as she tried to move, but it was as if her body had gone numb. She could not move a limb, even if her mind willed it desperately. She stared up, as if in a trance, up between the branches of the trees surrounding her. A large, white sword hung in the misty air above her, ready to fall down and cleave her easily in two. And the only thing that stood between her and the ethereal blade was the dark thing in front of her.

While Tayuya watched with growing alarm, the jet-black tentacle-thing, which was currently shielding her from the brightly glowing sword, began pulsing. Bit by bit, its form began changing. Soon, it had transformed into a vaguely human shape, though still black as the night sky and featureless. It stood tall in front of her, two strange antlers growing from its head. Tayuya watched as mesmerized at the figure's back as it stood up, spreading its indistinctly humanoid arms wide. Immediately she could feel a change in the air around her. It was as if the world itself tensed up at the new presence.

With the redhead as a horrified witness, the dark thing's back suddenly erupted in a spray of dark fluid. She startled, subconsciously realizing that the tip of the white blade was coming towards her. In the blink of an eye, the grand blade had pierced through her 'guardian' and in another eye blink, it would be through her own body as well. But to Tayuya's surprise, the sharp tip stopped a few inches from her chest, trembling visibly. Crimson, distinctly human blood dripped down on her naked chest. Fat droplets ran slowly down between her breasts towards her stomach. She looked up, her chestnut eyes wide with shock. The figure with the antlers had wrapped its hands around the hilt of the massive sword, preventing it from going any further. The sword trembled as if in a rage, clearly trying to force its way forward in spite of the resistance.

With an unnaturally whining screech, as from a million chattering insects, the large blade suddenly lifted the dark figure from the ground. The sword shook wildly, trying to forcefully detach the figure. Finally, with a wild swing, the figure was hurled to the side. It sailed through the air in an arc, arterial blood splattering heavily over the muddy ground, before the thing hit the trunk of a tree with shattering force.

As the midnight-coloured body connected with the hard wood, Tayuya's brown eyes widened in shock and surprise. For a brief, fleeting second, a human was hanging in the air at the tree trunk, naked and horrible, pale skin bathed in crimson blood. Tayuya's mouth hung wide open, unable to hide her surprise. She recognized the badly wounded human being who had tried to save her, and the realization shook through her body and soul like a mighty earthquake. _No way..._ were the only words that her mind managed to form, unable to believe what she was seeing. Suddenly, the moment was gone, and the dark, antlered figure fell heavily to the ground and vanished, like morning mist.

Tayuya stared at the spot where the figure had landed. There was nothing there. It was like it had never even existed. _It can't be..._ Tayuya tried to convince herself, but it was a half-hearted attempt. She could not comprehend what she had just seen, or what it could possibly mean. Slowly, her eyes turned back to the front. The blade hovered a few metres above her, the metal glinting with fresh blood. Tayuya again tried to move, to make her body react, but it was no use. She could only watch as the sword descended rapidly, striking through her body. Her own blood mingled with the blood of her saviour, and she died.

**Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

In the real world, Tayuya's eyes shot wide open as her consciousness returned, the nightmare ending instantly. She was lying on her stomach, her breath laboured as she tried to calm herself down. Her eyes stung, and she was vaguely aware of the moistness of her cheeks. _Damn it, it was just a nightmare! Calm the fuck down!_ She mentally scolded herself, but it was easier said than done. Her heart was beating like a snare drum, and her mouth felt dry like sand paper. The redhead forced herself to swallow, the action leaving a strange taste in her mouth. It did not help much, because her mouth was still devoid of saliva. If she was to be completely honest with herself, Tayuya had never been so frightened before in her whole life. And she did not know why.

As she steadily calmed down, Tayuya looked around the room she found herself in. Thinking about it, she now remembered that she had fallen asleep in the pineapple-head's bedroom earlier. How could she possibly have fallen asleep so easily? Tayuya's eyebrows narrowed; she was getting more and more careless in his presence, and she did not know why. Tayuya snarled to herself. She was lying on the bed away from the window, her face turned towards the area in front of the door. The room was dark, lighted only by the weak sunlight that managed to penetrate the thick green curtains in front of the window. She could hear birds chirping joyfully outside, and she suddenly realized that it was morning already. She had slept even longer than she had thought! Damn it, this was all because of the soft bed. Even now, the bed sheet felt so soft and strangely warm against her right cheek, moist with her own sweat.

Suddenly, the bed sheet under her moved. Abruptly, it became very clear to Tayuya that it was in fact not a bed sheet at all.

"Had a nightmare, Tayuya?"

Slowly, Tayuya lifted her head, and found that she was staring into a very familiar face. Nara Shikamaru stared lazily back at her, a neutral look on his face. Tayuya simply gawked at him, her face gradually changing hue until she looked very much alike to a ripe tomato.

"What...the fuck are you doing?" Tayuya snarled dangerously, pushing herself up on her hands, above the pineapple-head. She now realized that the soft 'bed sheet' she had been sleeping on was in fact the Konoha brat's chest!

Shikamaru was completely relaxed, even with the hazardous gleam in the eyes of the redhead who was currently sitting on top of him.

"What am _I_ doing? I should be asking you." He said, lifting an eyebrow quizzically, but with a small smile on his lips. "You woke me up ten minutes ago by rolling on top of me, and then you start squeezing me so hard I can hardly breathe." He said matter-of-factly, not realizing that he should probably shut up when Tayuya's hands begun clenching spastically. "So, did you have a scary nightmare?" He asked once again, a small, teasing smile on his lips. Of course, this was promptly wiped off his face when Tayuya began strangling him comically, while screaming at the top of her lungs:

"Fuck you, asshole!"

**Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

"Geez...What a drag..." Shikamaru muttered to himself, gently running a finger along the skin of his neck. The girl had really been rough on him, even if she had released him before he ran completely out of oxygen. He could almost feel the finger marks on his skin, and there were definitely marks from her rather sharp finger nails. Despite being a tomboy girl through and through, Tayuya most surely had the sharp weapons of a girl, the finger nails. Shikamaru realized that he was very lucky she had not killed him already. He did not know why she had not simply strangled him right there. She had had the perfect chance, and she had not taken it.

Shikamaru sighed to himself. He would never understand girls, especially not the fiery redhead who was currently having a long morning shower. It just seemed like they changed their opinions every few minutes. First she hugged him close in her sleep; a minute later she tried to choke him to death. He sighed again.

"Girls are such a hassle." He muttered to himself, shaking his head in exasperation. Even with intelligence like his, girls would simply always be a complete mystery to him.

**Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

A chilly gust hit Tayuya as she opened the door to the shower cubicle and stepped out into the bathroom. A shiver went through her body, from her head down to the shower mat under her feet. After having spent close to twenty minutes under the hot, pouring water, the comfortably warm bathroom almost felt cold to her. Hurriedly, the red-haired girl grabbed one of the green towels from the hook on the wall. The cotton felt very nice against her pale skin, and Tayuya couldn't help but close her brown eyes as she dried herself off.

With all visual distractions shut away, Tayuya had the chance to think about her current situations. The pineapple-head had just outdone himself in the art of being a royal pain in the ass, and despite that fact, Tayuya had not yet killed him. She had even had the perfect chance, with her hands locked securely around his throat. But why had she let go? She could have killed him so easily back there, but she something had kept her hand.

Her thoughts went back to the incident a few days ago, when they had been in the store. The boy had said that he cared about her, which made no sense in Tayuya's mind. She had stayed in his apartment for less than a week, so how could he possibly care for her? To be cared for was a luxury that Tayuya had never been felt worthy of before, and she did not know how to deal with it. It was simply too confusing to her. The most confusing part, however, was that she did not totally despise the thought.

Tayuya shook her head violently, brushing the rebellious thought away. He was the enemy, and she would not forget that, whether he cared about her or not. Besides, every single person who had ever 'cared' about her throughout her entire life had always betrayed her. There was no such thing as care and concern. He would betray her too, sooner or later. She was certain of it.

Returning the now-moist towel to its hook, Tayuya slowly put on the clothes she had prepared on the toilet lid. It was just a pair of thick grey pants and a loose-fitting black t-shirt, but it felt so much more comfortable than the shitty clothes the boy had offered her to wear. Not only did these clothes have multiple places for her to hide weaponry (not that she had any weaponry at the moment; she considered stealing some from the pineapple-head), it also kept her safe from the stares of every pubescent boy she saw in the village.

After getting dressed, Tayuya walked out of the bathroom, her eyes instantly taking in the living room. Having lived a life full of insecurity and deceit, her mind was always on alert, and she instinctively scanned the small apartment for dangers. The apartment was void of life, except its lazy-ass owner, who stood in front of the kitchen counter making breakfast. Tayuya huffed to herself and walked over towards the sofa in the centre of the living room, stifling a yawn with her hand. Damn it, she still felt sleepy! Curse that bed for being so fucking soft! Not dignifying the pineapple-head with a greeting, she dumped her body unceremoniously onto the sofa.

Shikamaru turned his head to the side as he heard Tayuya drop onto the sofa, regarding her with one eye. He didn't know why she was so quiet and strange today. Normally she would complain loudly about anything and everything in her vicinity, but today she just seemed shut in. It was not a good sign.

"You want any breakfast, Tayuya?" Shikamaru called over to the redhead. She did not turn her head to look at him, but he could see her chest heaving slightly, as if she was sighing to herself. Something was definitely wrong. She did not chastise him for using her name. She merely lifted her hand, giving him a lazy, carefree wave, as if saying "sure, whatever shithead". Shikamaru gave a small sigh to himself, and turned back to cutting the bread.

Tayuya simply sat quiet on the sofa, staring blankly at the wall. Her eyes wandered over every nook and cranny on the wall, in the absence of anything interesting to look at, completely ignoring the black-haired boy. She just did not feel like doing anything at all, which was very unlike her. She knew the boy would betray her, sooner or later. In the darkest recesses of her mind, the nightmare from before still lingered, haunting her with fleeting images.

"Here you go." Shikamaru's words pulled Tayuya momentarily out of her own thoughts. She lifted her eyes, a slightly surprised expression on her features. Shikamaru stood over her, looking down at her with a small smile on his lips. Seeing the surprise on her face, he offered her a plate, lifting his eyebrow ever so slightly. "Your breakfast?"

Recovering from the initial surprise, Tayuya gave the boy a small glare, but a faint red colour spread over her cheeks. She hated being taken off guard like that, especially since she was an elite shinobi. Breaking their eye contact, she seized the plate and scooted to the side, giving Shikamaru more than plentiful space to sit down. She felt the sofa move a little under her as the boy sat down, keeping his distance.

As Tayuya tore off a small piece of her slice of bread with ham and cheese, Shikamaru watched her out of the corner of his eye. The girl was really being unusually quiet. Ever since she had tried to choke him, she had not spoken a single word to him. For the past few days they had lived together, she had not stopped complaining for more than five minutes at a time.

The girl may be troublesome, but Shikamaru was starting to worry. From what he knew of human psychology, it seemed like Tayuya was shutting herself in. Shikamaru couldn't really blame her. She had lost her whole team in the battles in the forest, which could certainly be enough to push someone in the wrong direction. Shikamaru knew that he would have to try and pull her out of it, and the most obvious way he could think of was by talking to her. But it would hardly help if the girl didn't talk back. He needed to find a subject she would respond to, and that of course ruled out their fight in the forest.

Shikamaru's eyes widened slightly as he suddenly realized the solution. It was so obvious. Back in the forest, he had thought the very thought while fighting for his life against the redhead. Despite the danger he had been in, he had admired her intelligence and her calm. And he still did.

"Do you play chess?"

Tayuya blinked in confusion and looked up from her barely touched breakfast, surprise written all over her face.

"Huh?"

"Do you know how to play chess?" Shikamaru asked again, looking at her as he took a bite of his breakfast. Tayuya just nodded her head slowly in confirmation, clearly confused by the strange turn of the conversation. "I think you're very intelligent, so how about a game? Think of it as a rematch for our fight in the forest." he added, giving her a small smile.

To his surprise, the red-haired girl returned a small smirk in return.

"I can beat your sorry ass anytime. Playing chess was the only fucking way to kill time in the Sound, except for..." At this point in the sentence she trailed off, her smirk weakening ever so slightly. Shikamaru looked at her as her words stopped, but didn't say anything. It was obvious to him that the girl was revisiting some bad memories, and they had to be real bad too if they could shut the tough redhead down like that.

Tayuya, against her will, felt old memories flood through her mind. She tried her best to shut them away, but they kept coming, breaking down any barrier she had made. She thought back to the time spent in the Sound village. The long days between missions into foreign countries had mostly been spent playing chess and other board games. That was, when her bastard teammates had not decided to relieve their stress by raping her. Tayuya had long since lost count of the number of times she had been gangbanged by her teammates. She could still remember the humiliating feeling of being trapped between their bodies, bound on her hands and ankles by Kidoumaru's sticky webbing, while they did as they wished with her body.

Tayuya had wanted them all dead and gone, and now she had gotten her wish. They were all dead, and she would not miss them. At least that was what she was trying to tell herself. She had been lucky, all things considering. Being one of Orochimaru's elites, the number of people who were allowed to treat her like a common whore were limited to her four teammates, as well as Orochimaru himself (though her always seemed to favour the twins instead). In this respect, Tayuya was better off than the other few females at the base, who were regularly being traded around between the few dozen males like cheap items. Tayuya would rather have died than sharing their fate, and she both despised them and pitied them.

Tayuya was so caught up in her painful memories that she had not noticed that Shikamaru had gotten up. She was swiftly pulled out of her reverie as he once again sat down on the sofa and folded his legs under himself, facing her. Tayuya blinked a few times, before mimicking his sitting position. She watched as he placed a simple wooden, chequered board down between them on the brown leather sofa. Next to the board, the Konoha boy placed an equally simple wooden casket, which Tayuya guessed contained the playing pieces. As Shikamaru opened the lid, her assumption was confirmed, and she looked down at a mix of black and white wooden pieces.

"Black or white?" Shikamaru asked looking at her, his hand still holding the lid. Tayuya picked up a random piece and looked at it. In her palm lay a single, white pawn. She smiled slightly to herself and closed her palm around the piece. "White." she stated simply. Shikamaru simple nodded and began picking out his pieces from the mix, Tayuya doing the same. As they both tried to find their respectively coloured pieces in the small box, their hands touched. Both teens looked up, staring into each other's eyes. A faint red colour rapidly spread over Tayuya's cheeks, and she tore her eyes away from Shikamaru's. The redhead stared pointedly down at the board as Shikamaru slowly picked out his last pieces from the box. Only then did she take the remaining white pieces.

Shikamaru and Tayuya set up the pieces in silence. Neither of them had anything in particular that they wanted to say, and neither felt like disturbing the tense silence that surrounded them. Tayuya slowly arranged her white pieces on her side of the board, starting with the king and queen, then the various officers, before she placed her eight pawns in front. Truth to be told, it was almost half a year since the last time she had played chess, but she was still fairly confident she could beat this bastard.

Shikamaru had set up the last of his pieces, and looked up at Tayuya,

"Your move, Tayuya." he said simply, as if she needed to be told that. There wasn't for no reason she had chosen to go first. Tayuya believed that if you had the first move, then you'd have an instant advantage, as you could begin dictating the battle from the very beginning. Looking at the various alternatives she had, she quickly made her decision. Her left-hand knight jumped over the pawn in front, and moved towards the centre of the board.

On the opposite side of the board, Shikamaru smiled slightly and shifted the pawn in front of the king forward a tiny bit. The fact that Tayuya had chosen to be first did not bother him. In fact, it fit him perfectly. Shikamaru felt most comfortable with being second, as this allowed him to watch her moves and adapt his strategies to hers. As Tayuya's second knight followed the first one, Shikamaru instantly recognized her style. _The Rush of Wind, huh?_ Shikamaru thought to himself. His smile widened slightly. Just the forceful style he had expected from an aggressive and forward girl like Tayuya.

As their game slowly progressed, the radically different play styles of the two teens became apparent. In response to Tayuya's aggressiveness, Shikamaru adopted a defensive play style. His side of the board quickly became a fortress, his pawns arrayed in crenulations with his officers spread out behind, ready to defend every opening. Undaunted by the mighty defence the Konoha boy had arranged, Tayuya shifted her pieces around on the board, seemingly without any meaning or plan. That, Shikamaru knew, was a bad sign for his defence.

Shikamaru decided to break the heavy silence that hung over them.

"You're going to be fully healed within a couple of days, you know." he said, trying to start a conversation. To his disappointment, Tayuya just nodded briefly, acknowledging the fact. Her eyes remained focussed on the game in front of her.

"So, what do you plan on doing when you're fully healed?" Shikamaru asked, as he watched the redhead moving one of her knights forward. She looked up, meeting his eyes briefly. Her brown eyes were unreadable, blank. Then she lowered her eyes to the board again.

"I dunno." Tayuya answered simply, her voice low and devoid of emotion. Shikamaru shifted one of his bishops to the side, threatening the knight Tayuya had just moved. Amazingly, neither of them had lost any pieces yet.

"You're not going back to the Sound Village?" Shikamaru continued, looking intently at the Sound girl. She did not answer, but Shikamaru could see her body tensing visibly. She stared hard at the board and moved the threatened knight back. Shikamaru watched her with interest, an idea of the situation becoming apparent in his mind.

"You can't go back, right?" he asked, his voice quiet and serious. Even without speaking any words, Tayuya's response said everything. The tomboy redhead shook her head weakly, all her strength seemingly draining from her. She sat limp on the sofa, still staring down at the board between them.

"What's going to happen to you, if you return?" He continued, realizing that he was beginning to get under the shut-in girl's skin. Finally, the girl lifted her head and looked at him. Shikamaru was surprised at the amount of emotion in Tayuya's eyes. He would not have thought it possible that her eyes could possess such sadness, even though she tried her best to show him a tough face.

"If I'm lucky...death." Her voice was just a whisper as she spoke. Shikamaru could hear the tension in her voice, speaking of the emotions within. "And if you're not lucky?" he enquired, almost dreading the answer. He knew that Tayuya, in Orochimaru's service, had lived an existence he could not even begin to imagine.

"They'll torture and abuse me, for weeks or maybe even months, until I'm nothing more than a fucking human wreck. Then they'll kill me." Tayuya's voice trembled as she spoke, but her face was full of spite and anger. Defiant in the face of certain death, Shikamaru noted, once again realizing the sheer strength of will the redhead possessed.

"So you've got no other options, then?" He asked, looking at her as she once again begun shifting pieces slowly over the board. She glanced up at him, before her eyes returned to the game. Her brown eyes told him that he was simply stating the obvious, and that the obvious was not very welcome at the moment.

Suddenly the girl grinned, surprising Shikamaru. Her fingers grabbed one of her white rooks, and ran it straight into Shikamaru's defensive line, claiming a simple pawn. Tayuya smirked at him, but Shikamaru could still see the veil of despair in her eyes. She was hiding it, but not well enough.

"I'm not going down without a fight." Tayuya announced. Shikamaru couldn't help but smile at her attitude. It was just like her. Looking down at the chess board, Shikamaru suddenly realized that he had been caught off guard. His defensive line was flawed. It had a single weak point, a single unprotected pawn, and Tayuya had spotted it and struck it. He quickly moved a knight to deal with the rook, but he had no chance to take it before a white bishop claimed the vulnerable knight. He looked up, and stared into the redhead's grinning face. He couldn't help but smile himself. His battle line had just turned into a death trap.

As their moves sped up, Shikamaru found himself losing pieces left and right. Tayuya exploited the hole in his battle line for all it was worth, and the Konoha genius had real problems making an effective counterattack. Tayuya smiled wider and wider with every piece she claimed from him, and Shikamaru couldn't help but look at her face. The feisty, violent redhead was actually very cute when she smiled. Shikamaru could hardly tear his eyes away from her.

"How about staying here?" As soon as he had said those words, Shikamaru realized the implications of his question. The smile wiped clean of Tayuya's face, and she looked up at him, momentarily stunned. As she recovered from her surprise, she simply snorted and waved the suggestion away.

"Fuck no. Sooner or later, those masked fuckers will find me, rape me senseless and lock me up again." She said, disgust dripping from her voice. She sighed to herself, and then froze. Why was she sighing? Sighing was something the pineapple-headed bastard did. Was she starting to pick up things from him already? Damn it! She needed to get away. "I'll just run away to somewhere and start anew..." she said, though she did not sound very convincing. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at her.

"You can't simply run away from Orochimaru, can you?" he said, his words half a question and half a statement. Tayuya hesitated, and then shook her head slowly, admitting the truth in his words. She could not run away from Orochimaru. The old Sannin had followers in every country in the world. It would be piece of cake for him to have her hunted down and make her suffer extra for her troubles. "No, I can't..."

Shikamaru looked at Tayuya, as despair and sadness once again veiled her brown eyes. He felt sorry for her, and he realized he still cared for her. Strange as it was, with her being the enemy and everything, he was still concerned for her safety. But even he, the so-called genius of Konoha, could not see a simple solution. Handing her over to the ANBU was not an option...

"Wait." Shikamaru said, thinking back to what Tayuya had just said. The redhead looked up, meeting his eyes with a quizzical expression. "What?"

"Did you just say that the ANBU raped you?" he asked, leaning forward, his arms on his knees. Tayuya leaned back slightly, her cheeks darkening slightly. "Those masked fuckers? Yeah, so what?" she snapped irrately, glaring at him. Shikamaru looked at her for a few seconds, and then leaned back, his mind falling into deep thoughts. A plan was starting to form in his mind, pieced together slowly by fragments, like a big jigsaw puzzle. His fingers absent-mindedly formed into a circle, a clear sign of the fact that he was thinking heavily. Tayuya looked at him in confusion for a few seconds, before hesitantly returning her attention to the game. She did give him the occasional confused glances though, obviously wondering what he was thinking about.

For a few minutes, the only things that could be heard were the soft breathing of the two teens, and the soft click-clack sounds of wooden pieces being moved around. Shikamaru was only half paying attention to the game, and Tayuya was rapidly massacring his remaining pawns with her officers, her swift knights in particular being extremely dangerous.

Tayuya, for once, was having a lot of fun. Here was an opponent who gave her a real challenge, and who on top of that did not seem to try and rape her or abuse her at first opportunity. She could not believe she was actually enjoying herself in someone else's presence, but as strange as it was, she was enjoying herself playing chess with this brat. Her satisfied grin widened more as she moved her queen across the board, next to his black king.

"Checkmate." She beamed triumphantly, grinning at the black-haired boy as she let go of the white wooden piece.

Shikamaru blinked and looked down at the board. To his surprise he realized that Tayuya's queen was position right next to his king, and one of her knights was shielding the queen from retaliation. He smiled slightly. He had indeed been correct in the assumption of her intelligence. She had actually beaten him in a battle of wits. He shrugged and looked into her gleeful brown eyes, giving her a small smile.

"I guess you've won fair and square, Tayuya." He admitted, and placed his index finger on the top of his king's head, ready to topple it over and signal his own defeat. But then he stopped. He stared down at the king, his eyes widening. The last piece of the puzzle fell into place.

Of course. The Hokage.

Shikamaru's smile grew as he raised his eyes to the red-haired girl opposite him, his voice confident.

"I have a plan."

**To be ****continued...**

What could possibly Shikamaru's Plan of Awesomeness be? Stay tuned to find out ;-)

Resolution to finish this chapter before New Year? Failed.

Resolution to finish before going home from my parents? Failed.

Resolution to finish before school starts? Mission Accomplished, but only just.

Yes, I'm pleased. I actually managed to finish the chapter before school starts again, which is a huge relief to me, because obviously I will be very busy with school work the next couple of weeks. But I will try (honestly!) to have the next chapter up within a month. I have it mostly planned out already, I just need to write it... :-P

Until then, take care all :-)

Haraio


	13. Chapter 13: Taking Chances

Hey, it's me again! :D

Well well, look at that. I actually didn't use two months on this chapter. In fact, I managed to finish this one in just under one month, which I think haven't happened since... what, chapter 5? I'm really happy that I didn't keep you all waiting for so long. After publishing the last chapter, I noticed that I got less reviews than normal (in fact the chapter with least reviews of the whole fanfic), and I was worried that you'd all given up on my slow updates. So, hopefully, you will all still be around to read this :-D

Anyway, here we go again with Tayuya and Shikamaru's difficult situation. Cross your fingers for another year of somewhat regular updates :-)

Disclaimer: Same procedure as last year, kids. I don't own Naruto :-P

**Chapter 13: Taking Chances**

The sky was beautiful. It hung above in its pristine, regal glory, unperturbed by any earthly event which might've tried to disturb it. Small, white cirrocumulus clouds occasionally dotted the heavens, warning of the chance of local showers, but for now the weather was as close to perfect as it could possibly be in the late summer. The sun was still rising towards the top of its peak, casting its warming light over the village of Konoha. The villagers were already attending their daily business, milling to and fro in the streets. Now and then, a shinobi would dart past on the roof tops, doubtlessly on a mission of importance. Despite the hustle and bustle around him, Nara Shikamaru felt at peace. He stared lazily up at the sky as he walked, oblivious to the world around him.

Well, kind of...

"Why are you staring up at the fucking sky?" The young boy breathed out heavily. No matter how much he tried, he could not ignore the troublesome girl next to him. Slowly, Shikamaru dragged his eyes away from the peaceful clouds, and looked at the troublesome woman next to him. A few of the nearby villagers also stared, having heard the female's foul swearing. Shikamaru gave her an apathetic glance, as he ran his fingers through his black hair, from his forehead to the knot at the back of his head.

"Because you're troublesome.." He muttered in reply, earning himself a poisonous glare from the girl. At least she did not hit him, which meant that she at least was somewhat conscious of how to act in public. That was a good thing. It would help her blend into her environment more easily. Of course, the way she looked now would also help immensely.

Shikamaru looked at the 'troublesome woman' from the corner of his eye as they walked down the street. She was wearing a tight-sitting, purple top which showed off her flat stomach very nicely, and an equally skimpy pair of purple shorts. Waist-long, blonde hair flowed behind her as she walked with irritated strides, a distinctive lock of blonde hair hanging down the right side of her face. Shikamaru smiled slightly. She blended in perfectly.

Noticing his smile, the blonde girl turned her head towards him, giving him a piercing glare. From the gleam in her now-blue eyes, Shikamaru could tell that she was not exactly pleased with the current situation.

"Why the fuck do I have to look like a whore?" She inquired angrily of him, throwing her hands out to the front and looking down at her own body, as if emphasizing her point. Shikamaru simply stared at her, ignoring the looks of the villagers who had heard the girl's foul-mouthed outburst. He sighed softly. So that was what she was upset about at the moment.

"I already told you, Tayuya." He said quietly, making sure only the girl could hear him. He spoke slowly, as if explaining something to a little child. The now-blonde girl tensed, noticing his tone. "We won't get in there with a simple disguise." As he spoke, his teammates' face looked back at him, but behind her eyes he could see the gleam of the red-haired Sound girl's displeasure. It was very obvious to him that she was not exactly comfortable with the situation.

"Is this even going to work?" Her voice was low, and she was not completely successful in trying to hide her uncertainty. Tayuya had her doubts about his rather radical plan, no matter how much of a genius he claimed to be. He had been correct in regards to the disguise, she hesitantly had to admit. Where they were going, a physical disguise would be far too risky. But her camouflage was far from the only risk in the plan.

The Sound girl stared at the raven-haired boy as they walked, waiting for him to answer her. Seconds dragged themselves away, but the chuunin remained quiet. He kept staring ahead as he walked. Tayuya watched him with a puzzled expression on her face. She listened to the song of the birds on the telephone lines, and the rustle of the gentle breeze through bright-green leaves. If this plan failed, would she ever hear those sounds again? Would she ever feel the caress of the wind against her skin or the tickle of grass under her feet? She doubted it, and the realization scared her.

Tayuya could vividly remember her own despair from a week back. It had threatened to overwhelm her in the prison. She had almost surrendered to her captors, almost giving herself willingly to their abuse. She would never be in that kind of position again, she vowed. If this plan failed, and she was once again captured, she would not live to be tortured again. She had one chance and one chance only. If that chance failed, only death would await her. She would be a slave to their abuse no more. The despair and humiliation was simply too great.

The pineapple-head's appearance had saved her, she realized now. He being there, for her to direct her anger upon in the prison, had been her relief between the abuse and rape. Now, once again, he was trying to save her, and Tayuya could still not understand why he was doing this. He was risking his life for her. No one had risked their life for her before, at least not without wanting something substantial in return. Tayuya stared at the pineapple-haired chuunin. _Why is he doing this?_ Tayuya reached into her pocket, the cold metal of her flute caressing her skin tenderly. Her eyes widened. She remembered clearly the moment the flute flew in through her prison window. _Did he...?_

Tayuya shook her head softly, clearing away the thoughts. If this did not succeed, it would no longer matter. Did it come to it, she would take her own life. Not only her own life. His life would be over as well, and if she was to go, she would take him with her. The edge of her lips rose a little bit. It would be both a mercy, and a revenge for her last stay in prison. Tayuya opened her mouth, speaking out the words which ran through her mind.

"If this fails, I will kill you." She stated the words simply, not bothering to hide the emotion in her voice. Despite the seriousness in her threat, the boy only smiled slightly.

"It won't fail." Shikamaru assured, though in his own mind he felt less certain. They would only have one shot at this. He just prayed that he remembered everything correctly. Everything depended on his memory and on his abilities. He stared straight ahead, towards their destination. With every step they took, the large Hokage Tower loomed taller and taller in front of them.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

"Tsunade-sama?"

Tsunade ignored the testing, slightly overbearing voice of her young assistant. The mature Hokage simply stared pointedly down into the wooden desk which she currently rested her forehead upon. Her arms hung limp at her side as she leaned forward in her chair. She almost looked like she was sleeping, which was the whole purpose. With any luck, Shizune would think her asleep and walk away. Tsunade did not want to lift her head. Doing so would mean she would have to gaze at the huge stacks of paperwork presently cluttering her large oak desk.

"Tsunade-sama." The black-haired woman's voice sounded even more persistent and displeased, and Tsunade could hear the woman approaching over the floor of her office, her gentle footfalls on the hard wood resounding dully in the quiet room. The Hokage squeezed her eyes tightly shut, wishing all the paperwork away. It would not work, of course; the ridiculously huge stacks of paper sheets and files would not magically disappear, but for a few moments it was nice and comfortable living in that illusion. Sadly, Shizune's merciless voice pulled her out of her safe place.

"Tsunade-sama!!!" The raven-haired young woman shouted irritated and slammed another heavy stack of mission reports down on the desk. Shizune could almost feel the strong wooden furniture tremble under the added weight, but to her relief the desk didn't break. Better still, she finally got a reaction from her master. The figure behind the desk stirred to life, and lifted its head, revealing a surly, deceptively young face framed by short blonde hair. The Hokage awarded her protégé with a sour glare, her lower lips pushed forward in an irritated pout, but the younger woman was unfazed. She had been through this routine so many times already.

"I can't believe you, Tsunade-sama." Shizune scolded her master, as she glanced over the huge stacks of work, which had barely diminished in the time she had been gone. "I go out on errands for _two_ hours and you have barely done anything at all." She met Tsunade's sour facial expression with a critical gaze, and placed her hands at her hips, looking suspiciously like a mother berating a lazy child. "You're never going to finish your paperwork at this rate."

Tsunade closed her eyes and exhaled tiredly as her assistant ranted on and on about how sluggish she was. How many times had she not heard that? When she agreed to being the Hokage after her late teacher's passing, she had not known how much work it actually was. If she had known, she would never have accepted it. Tsunade opened her eyes, and glanced down at the drawer to her right. Shizune stopped her rant immediately, noticing her master's expression.

"Maybe I'll work better with a little sake?" Tsunade suggested half to herself, as she seized the handle of the drawer. As she pulled it out, she could see the top of a large, dark blue bottle, and she smiled to herself. With sake, everything felt better. The world always became a much happier place as soon as one had a little alcohol in the blood.

Shizune moved with a speed which would have surprised most people who had never seen the shinobi under her normally peaceful exterior. Before the Hokage had pulled the drawer more than half open, Shizune was next to her and placed her hand on top of Tsunade's, slamming the drawer shut with the loud sound of wood hitting wood. Tsunade stared in bewilderment up at her aide, who stared stubbornly back.

"No sake for you until you finish at least two stacks, Tsunade-sama." The black-haired woman stated, surprisingly calmly despite the fact that she was basically ordering the Hokage around, old friend or not. The silent staring contest lasted for a few seconds, before the blonde woman sighed and shrugged her shoulders.

"Fine, fine." She muttered in defeat, as she turned her light brown eyes to the paperwork in front of her. Her mind recoiled in near-horror as she realized the amount of work one stack represented, and how long it would take her to finish it. The stacks were only about half a meter high, but it seemed like at least two metres to her. Resigned, she reached for the first paper sheet. She looked at it briefly, noting something about grave robbery...

_Knock knock_

The Hokage almost jumped in happiness. She sat up straight instantly, a smile spreading over her lips, which did not go entirely unnoticed by her younger assistant. Finally she had a chance to postpone her paperwork a little longer. _Saved by the bell_, Tsunade thought happily to herself, as she opened her mouth and called: "Enter."

There was a minor delay, and then the door on the opposite side of the Hokage's office opened, revealing the two teenagers outside. Shikamaru stepped inside the office, followed by the blonde girl, who closed the door behind her as she entered. Tsunade looked at them, eyebrows slightly raised.

"Shikamaru, Ino." She said, acknowledging their presence. "What can I do for you?"

Shikamaru took half a step forward, drawing the Hokage's eyes to him. He cleared his throat, before he spoke, somewhat hesitantly.

"It's about the Sound prisoner, Tayuya..."

Tsunade sighed and leaned forward, silencing the young chuunin momentarily. She folded her hands, elbows on the desk, watching Shikamaru with a slightly apologetic look.

"I take it you've heard about her escape, then?" Tsunade said, her words not really a question. If Shikamaru was here, so soon after the Sound prisoner's escape, it must mean that he had learned about it from someone. It was natural that he felt concerned, since it was he who had fought her and had almost gotten killed during the failed retrieval mission.

"Don't worry, Shikamaru. we are doing everything in our power to catch her." Tsunade assured, aiming to calm the young boy. Shrugging her shoulders, the Hokage leaned her cheek on her palm, looking at him hopefully. "I don't assume you have any additional information for us?"

Shikamaru did not speak any words in reply. Instead, he turned his head and looked at the blonde girl standing right next to him. She turned her eyes to him, an unspoken question in her eyes. Shikamaru nodded softly, and the girl returned the nod. Then she proceeded to lift her hand up in front of herself, making a single, one-handed seal. There was a loud 'poof', as the girl was enveloped in white smoke.

Before the last tendrils of smoke had even cleared fully, the Hokage had moved, faster than either of the teens had expected. In less than two seconds, Tsunade had stood up, leapt over the desk and stridden three long steps over the floor of her office, where she proceeded to seize the now-redheaded girl by her neck and pin her unceremoniously against the wall next to the door. The sound of the girl's back hitting the wooden wall resounded dully in the large room.

Shikamaru had not expected such a fast reaction from the Hokage. Suddenly the tall woman was standing less than a metre from him, and the young boy took a full step back in sheer surprise. His back hit the door, and he could only watch as Tsunade lifted the girl next to him a full foot off the floor. Once again, the sheer strength of the older woman scared him. He was now reminded that she was in fact one of the third Hokage's students, and that she was not someone he should be messing with. Too bad he was already messing with her.

Compared to her black-haired companion, Tayuya was reacting much calmer. When she had broken the transformation technique, the white smoke had blinded her eyes for a few short seconds. The moment she had opened her chestnut eyes again, the woman who had been sitting behind the desk was literally in her face. The redhead had had no chance to react before the blonde's incredible strength had pinned her against the wall. Tayuya could feel the wood pressing hard into her back and the woman's hand clasping down on her neck, but she fought the screaming instincts in her mind which screamed at her to fight back. Tayuya simply smiled bravely as she met the older woman's fierce eyes. Fighting back would do no good. She could already tell that the leader of the Leaf Village was on a whole different level than her. Plus, resisting would only jeopardize their plan. So Tayuya hung limp against the wall, as the woman spoke.

"Shikamaru," The woman said slowly, her voice low and dangerous as she turned her narrowed brown eyes from the girl in her grip to the boy next to her. "What is this?"

Shikamaru swallowed under the Hokage's gaze. He had never seen her like this before. He could almost feel the temperature in the room sinking with every second as those brown eyes bored into him. They suddenly reminded him of Tayuya's. They contained the same anger and fierceness as the young redhead's. Only that the Hokage was, if possible, even more scary than Tayuya. He swallowed again.

"This is Tayuya, the escaped Sound prisoner." Shikamaru stated as calmly as he could, as he looked up at the Hokage. His palms were warm, he noticed, and he could feel a sweat start to break out on his forehead. The woman narrowed her eyes sharply at his words.

"I can see that, Shikamaru. Why is she with you?" She asked brusquely, her eyes moving from the boy to the redhead who still hung unmoving in her strong grip, the girl's head high and dignified despite the situation.

"On the day of her escape..." Shikamaru began slowly, as he began telling the story of how he had found her badly wounded in an alleyway, and how he had decided to take her in and treat her. While he spoke, Tsunade's eyes moved back and forth between the two teens, the fierceness in her eyes gradually lessening somewhat, though she never released her grip on Tayuya's neck. When Shikamaru was done talking, Tsunade was quiet for a few seconds. The expression on her face told Shikamaru that she was contemplating his story. Shikamaru glanced to Tayuya, and her eyes met his.

Tayuya's heart was beating fast. She could hear it, like the rapid pounding of a drum, in her chest. She was very nervous, she realized, even if she did her best to try and control it. She had no idea how their plan was faring so far, not knowing the woman the pineapple-head had talked to. She knew the woman was the so-called Hokage of Konoha, but she did not know anything at all about her, so she had no idea what to expect. She turned her face to the side, to meet the boy's eyes. She hoped he knew what he was doing. Her life depended on it.

When Tsunade finally spoke, her voice was a bit softer, though her tone was still somewhat suspicious.

"Your story makes sense, Shikamaru, but I still don't understand why you are bringing her to me like this." The Hokage said, staring at Shikamaru in bewilderment. It did not seem logical to her, for the young boy to treat the enemy shinobi so kindly just to hand her over again.

Shikamaru took a deep breath before he spoke. This was it. Now there was no turning back. He just had to put everything on this and hope it would succeed. He met the Hokage's inquisitive eyes evenly, and spoke as calmly as he could.

"I'm asking for Tayuya, as a defector of the Sound Village, to be granted residency in the Leaf Village."

Both the Hokage and her assistant looked like Shikamaru had just punched them in their faces. Their jaws literally dropped, and they stared at him, wide-eyed with surprise. Tayuya sighed softly to herself. Judging by their expressions, he had just made a completely outrageous demand. This would be more difficult than she had hoped for.

Tayuya had been very hesitant to the idea when the black-haired boy had originally told her, but she hardly had any better choices. It was much preferable to dying or being imprisoned again, at least, and if she was within the walls of this crap village, she at least had some protection against any 'rescue attempts' from Orochimaru's lackeys. Not that she had any high expectations of the protection of the village, but it was better than nothing. At least she would not be alone, like she would be if she ran away on her own. All in all, staying here was the most favourable option at the moment. Of course, if this plan failed, that option would no longer be available to her. She looked at the blonde woman before her, almost dreading the inevitable answer.

The Hokage regained her wits faster than her younger assistant, who was still gawking like a fish on dry land when the blonde woman spoke.

"Nara Shikamaru, she is an enemy shinobi!" Tsunade exclaimed, staring at Shikamaru in a mix of surprise and confusion. Shikamaru simply stared stubbornly back at the Hokage as she spoke. "Why should I possibly allow one of Orochimaru's servants, one of his elite at that, sanctuary in the village?"

Again Shikamaru breathed in deeply before he spoke. His lungs felt empty, no matter how much oxygen he inhaled. He was really nervous, he realized.

"If I'm not completely mistaken, the Village signed a treaty with the Sand Village and some other minor villages after the Sand's attack on Konoha?" Shikamaru said, his tone indicating it was partly a question to the Hokage. The blonde woman looked puzzled, but she nodded slowly, eyes still fixed on the black-haired boy in front of her. Shikamaru was a chuunin, and people of his rank had access to the general archives of the village, so it was not exactly classified information he was revealing knowledge of.

"Yes, I remember it." Tsunade said, as she placed her right hand on her hip, her other hand still pinning Tayuya against the wall. Shikamaru was a little worried that Tayuya might choke in the Hokage's strong grip, but the Sound girl was as calm as if she had been sitting in a comfortable chair. "I take it you are talking about the one concerning proper treatment of Prisoners of War?" Tsunade asked, while glancing sideways at the red-haired girl, who returned her gaze coolly. "What about it?"

"Well," Shikamaru begun, and looked at Tayuya. A slight blush was creeping up over her cheeks, even if the girl did her best to try and ignore the fact. His eyes moved back to Tsunade's, and took on a tone of seriousness mirrored in his voice. "Tayuya has informed me that the ANBU interrogating her were ordered to use sexual abuse as a tool to break her." Shikamaru spoke the words calmly, but the deathly seriousness in his voice told everyone in the room how much the matter disgusted him. Shizune gasped audibly in the background, and Tsunade's eyes widened in disbelief.

Shikamaru looked at Tayuya. The girl had lowered her head, but under the red hair Shikamaru could see darkly blushing cheeks and closed eyes. It was clear to him that Tayuya was very uncomfortable with the matter, and that she was ashamed of the fact that she had been unable to fight back against the abuse, but to secure her stay in the village it was necessary to reveal this information. Shikamaru's eyes moved back to the Hokage, who seemed to be recovering from the surprise. She did not seem fully convinced yet, so Shikamaru played his second card.

"I've taken the liberty to examine her..." Shikamaru said, and trailed off, somewhat hesitantly. He had trouble bringing himself to saying the name of Tayuya's lower regions, so he simple skipped the word. "...and the bruising she has sustained down there seems to confirm her story." He finished the sentence calmly. Tayuya smiled slightly at his words. That he had inspected her was, of course, a blatant lie. Tayuya would never have let the bastard 'examine' her genitals, but she had hesitantly admitted to the fact when he had asked her, so it was sort of true.

Shikamaru's white lie seemed to have paid off, either way. The Hokage finally let go of Tayuya's neck, after nearly two minutes. Tayuya lifted her hand to rub gently at her sore neck, as she watched the blonde Hokage walk back to her desk. Tayuya glanced to the side, at the boy next to her. He looked back, his eyes appearing as anticipating as hers. Neither of them had any idea how this was going.

"Shizune." The Hokage muttered, as she sat down heavily in her chair, her eyes fixed on the desk. The black-haired woman stepped forward slowly in acknowledgement. "Get me Morino Ibiki."

Shizune seemed surprised, and leaned forward, staring at the Hokage. "Huh?" She should not have hesitated.

"NOW!" Tsunade roared, making both her poor assistant as well as the two teens by the door jump like startled chickens. Shizune bolted for the door as if running for her life, and Tayuya and Shikamaru hurriedly stepped aside to let the woman pass. As the door slammed shut, the two teens stared at each other in confusion, before they turned back to the woman behind the desk. The Hokage seemed like she was doing her best to calm herself down, her head lowered. After a few seconds, she lifted her head, fixing Shikamaru with her brown eyes.

"I see your point, Shikamaru." She said slowly, as she folded her hands on the desk. Shikamaru stepped forward to stand in front of the desk, and Tayuya hesitantly followed. Truth to be told, the blonde woman frightened her somewhat, in a way that only Orochimaru had been capable of. The woman had an aura of power around her, which Tayuya found hard to ignore. "But why should I allow a Sound shinobi residence in the village?" The Hokage continued, leaning her chin in her palm as she looked at the two teens.

Shikamaru was about to answer, but the redhead beat him to it. Tayuya took a bold step forward, and stared defiantly at the Hokage.

"Because then I will no longer be a Sound shinobi." The young girl said with a heavy bout of certainty in her voice, as she placed her hands on the Hokage's desk and leaned forward, closer to the older woman's face. "And," Tayuya added, with a small smile. "As one of the Snake bastard's elites, I have detailed information on at least some of his hideouts and outposts." Her words seemed to interest the Hokage, as the blonde woman's eyes widened slightly in understanding. Pleased that she had gotten her intentions across, Tayuya took a step back and stood next to Shikamaru. The black-haired boy turned his head slightly to look at her, and Tayuya grinned triumphantly. Her brown eyes had the unmistakeable "I'm more convincing than you"-gleam.

Tsunade glanced from one teen to the other, contemplating her decision. She was not yet fully convinced of the so-called 'renegade' Sound shinobi's words. She seemed truthful, but then again she was one of the most trusted servants of Orochimaru, who himself was very close to being the epitome of deceit and trickery. Tsunade had her doubts about the young girl, but Shikamaru seemed to trust her enough to put in his word for her sake. Shikamaru was a smart kid, Tsunade had to admit. It wasn't for any reason he was made Chuunin. Sighing softly to herself, Tsunade opened the bottom drawer on the right side of her desk, and ran her fingers along the brown files arranged there.

She pulled one halfway out, confirmed its content, and withdrew it, before closing the drawer. She tossed it lazily to the young boy, and he took it in midair. Shikamaru looked at her in confusion, and she lifted her hand, showing her palm. "Open it." She said simply. If the boy would still support the redhead after seeing the material in the file, Tsunade would seriously consider letting the girl stay. It was up to Shikamaru now.

Shikamaru didn't really know what to expect as he opened the file. He glanced at the Hokage, then at the girl next to him, before he slowly opened the file. The first thing he saw was papers, and lots of them, judging by the thickness. It looked like a prisoner report. It had to be Tayuya's, he guessed, as he skimmed through it. It described her characteristics and various other data collected on her. Shikamaru looked up at the Hokage, his face clearly displaying his confusion.

"Last page." The blonde woman stated plainly, as she watched him carefully, gauging his reaction. Shikamaru did as she said, and opened the file on the last page. As his eyes took in the sight, his face paled visibly, as blood drained from his veins. Next to him, he could hear a sharp intake of breath as the content also became obvious to Tayuya.

There were no words on the last page, only three photos, fitted to the paper with paper clips. Shikamaru's eyes wandered over the pictures, trying to comprehend what it was he was actually seeing. The Hokage, perhaps having seen the change of colour in his face, spoke again.

"Those are the bodies of the three ANBU found dead in her cell, after her escape." Tsunade said, her eyes staring gravely at Tayuya.

Shikamaru's mouth felt dry. His eyes were pulled towards the last picture on the page. He almost couldn't believe that what he was seeing was, in fact, the corpse of a human being. It looked like the skin had been flayed off of parts the body. It was bright crimson red with blood, and Shikamaru noted to his disgust that all the fingers were gone, as well as the body's genitalia. There was so much blood. The whole body was coloured crimson, and judging from the picture there was a large pool of blood beneath the body too. Shikamaru looked at the Hokage, if only to shield his eyes from looking at the picture for a few seconds. He felt seriously ill from looking at the picture, and he could almost feel the taste of vomit in his mouth.

"The first two were obviously dead." The Hokage said gravely, her eyes fixed not on Shikamaru but on Tayuya. Shikamaru looked at the pictures. The first picture was a decapitated body, while the second looked like some kind of twisted parody of a boar impaled on a spear. "But the ANBU on the third picture was somehow still alive when the guards found them, although he died about half an hour later." Shikamaru glanced at the red-haired girl at his side, and the Hokage nodded slightly. "Yes, she did it, Shikamaru." The words came slowly, darkly.

Tayuya had not expected to see those pictures. Sure, it had felt incredibly good at that time, and she still felt a bit proud of her handiwork, but the look the boy next to her gave her drowned out all positive feelings she might have had of her treatment of the three ANBU. She could see worry, disappointment, and something akin to alienation in the boy's eyes, and Tayuya felt a sting of despair building in her chest. The look in his eyes made her feel like something was clamping down over her heart, making it difficult for her to breathe. He would not help her after seeing those pictures, Tayuya suddenly realized. There was no way he would help her after seeing what kind of brutality this evil world had taught her. Her upper lip quivered slightly, as the blonde woman behind the desk spoke once again.

"So, Shikamaru, do you still back her up?"

A heavy silence filled the room. Shikamaru had lowered his eyes to the pictures in his hand again, and Tayuya had closed her eyes tightly shut. She lowered her head, making it appear like she was staring into the floor. Her eyes felt moist for some reason, and she did her best to push the fluid back. She was not going to cry, damn it! But no matter how much she tried to stem the flow, she couldn't. The stinging feeling in her chest still persisted, and Tayuya felt as if every breath brought no oxygen to her lungs. It was if she was choking.

"I do." Tayuya heard the words, but she could not believe it. She raised her head in surprise, eyes wide open. She did not care for the two tears that rolled down her cheeks. She stared at the boy, surprise written all across her face. The boy looked at her strangely, obviously noticing her tears. Tayuya quickly lifted her hand and wiped her eyes with the back of her palm. Damn him! Why did he have to see her like this?

The Hokage sighed heavily behind the desk.

"As you wish, Shikamaru. But you will take the full responsibility for her actions for a trial period." The Hokage said, the level of seriousness in her look telling both teens that the Hokage was adamant and would not accept any 'incidents'. Shikamaru nodded his head, and the older woman shook her head slowly, as if she hardly believed that she was taking a Sound shinobi into the Village. Her hand rubbed slowly over the side of the temple, giving her a weary appearance. "I will sort things out with the council. For the time being, you are to stay with her at all times. She is not allowed to leave the Village, not even in your company." Shikamaru nodded again, realizing that this restraint would effectively keep him from doing any missions or even leaving the Leaf Village.

There was a soft knock on the door, and Tsunade called for entry. Shizune stepped inside, her breath somewhat heavier than normal.

"Morino Ibiki is here." Shizune said softly, cautious of any more outbursts from her short-tempered master. Tsunade leaned back in her chair, a tired look coming over her face.

"Shizune, take Shikamaru-kun and Tayuya-san to the basement. Then find me ten ANBU." Tsunade said calmly, as she looked at the two teens, who exchanged confused glances upon hearing her words. Tayuya was worried that she would meet more of the masked bastards, while Shikamaru was wondering why they were going to the basement. "Oh, and see if you can get Naruto and the old geezer too." She added after a moment's thinking. Shikamaru was surprised. Why would Naruto be there? He did not get it. Tayuya, on the other hand, was blissfully ignorant. The redhead had no idea who this so-called 'Naruto' or the 'old geezer' was.

"I'll be right there, after I've had a little chat with Ibiki." Shizune nodded quickly as the blonde woman stopped speaking, seeing the hardness that came over the Hokage's brown eyes. She hurriedly motioned for Tayuya and Shikamaru to follow her.

The two teens exchanged glances again. Neither of them knew what to expect from the situation. But they both knew one thing for sure. No matter what happened now, they would be in it together. As one, they both turned away from the Hokage, and walked towards the door.

**To be continued...**

Another chapter come and done, then. When I wrote this, I actually wrote the first half in like five days, and then I spent about two weeks on the second half. Everything just went soooooo slowly. I have not yet figured out what made the second half of it so difficult. Either way, I hope you've liked the chapter :-) Please leave a review and tell me what you like. I hugely appreciate it :-D

Until next time

Haraio


	14. Chapter 14: A Fate Sealed?

Hi everyone :-)

Once again, it's time for me to apologize. I was hoping it wouldn't take so long to update this, but stuff just keeps adding up in my pile of "To-Do"-things. In addition to writing a Hellsing one-shot (which by the way is already online here; check my profile), I also had two ten-page essays I needed to finish, plus all the usual stuff that keeps me from posting up one chapter per week. Life is busy, and, unfortunately, I just have to deal with it.

Still, I managed to finish the chapter before I'm going for my Easter vacation (skiing, here I come!), so while I go and hopefully don't break any bones, you can enjoy this next chapter of Tayuya's struggles to find a new life. Hope you all like it :-)

Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own Shikamaru, Tayuya, or anything else in Naruto.

**Chapter 14: A Fate Sealed?**

Following Shizune, Tayuya and Shikamaru walked out of the Hokage's office together. As they exited the room, Tayuya looked at the boy. She could hardly believe they had succeeded. She had, in fact, been granted stay in the village, despite being an enemy shinobi. Even more surprising, the pineapple-head had backed her up through it all, even after seeing what she had done to her captors. It seemed to her like he really cared about her.

Surprised by her own trail of thoughts, Tayuya pushed the notion half-heartedly away. She could not lose her edge now. One thing she had learned throughout a tough and painful life was that a betrayal was always right around the corner when she felt safest. She had to remain on guard. That was how she survived any ordeal this far, and she would not go soft now.

Only now did Tayuya become aware of the person leaning against the wall opposite the wall a short distance away. It was a tall man, clad in a dark grey jacket and a black coat, and a black cap on his head. Even from this distance Tayuya could clearly see his scars: two deep rends diagonally across his face, barely missing his cold eyes. She wondered idly to herself what kind of weapons had made those deep wounds.

Shizune walked up to the man, stopping a respectable distance from him. She seemed unwilling to go any closer to the scarred man. "Hokage-sama is ready to see you," she informed him, before turning her head to look at the two young teenagers behind her. "Shikamaru-kun, Tayuya-kun, follow me," she said, as she began walking down the hall to the left.

The man stood up to his full height, without saying anything. Quietly, not even dignifying the Hokage's assistant with an acknowledgement, he walked past her towards the Hokage's office. As he passed the two teenagers, he turned his eyes to Tayuya, glaring icily at her. Tayuya was momentarily taken aback by the sheer coldness in the scarred man's eyes. He reminded her of Kimimaro, and how the Kaguya survivor used to look down on anyone except Orochimaru as trash.

Tayuya turned and looked after the man as he brushed past her, her upper lip twitching slightly. What the hell was that bastard's problem? Tearing her eyes from the black-clad man as he opened the door they had just come out from, she turned her head to the Chuunin next to her.

"Who's the emo freak?"

Shikamaru scratched the back of his head as he watched the black-clad man enter the Hokage's office and close the door behind him. He remembered the man from the first part of the Chuunin exam, and he tried to remember how the man had introduced himself.

"I believe he's the Head of the Interrogation Squad." He answered, while looking at Tayuya, his fingers still running through his black hair.

Tayuya stared at the young Chuunin, before she looked at the door the disturbing man had just disappeared through. Then it finally began to dawn on her. If he was the leader of the squad in charge of interrogating prisoners, and he had been called to the Hokage in relation to her, then that would most likely mean...

- - -

"Come on, he's not worth it!" Shikamaru exclaimed desperately, trying to convince Tayuya not to attack the door to the Hokage's office. The young boy had his arms under the rampant redhead's armpits, doing his best to hold her back. Tayuya had one palm pressed against Shikamaru's chest behind her back, while she furiously tried to reach for the door with her other hand, despite being a good few metres from reaching her goal. Though, she was physically stronger than the pineapple-head, if only a little, not to mention she was pissed off like hell, so she was gaining several inches with every few seconds.

Then, out of nowhere, Shizune appeared, seizing Tayuya's outstretched wrist in her hand. She did not use any force, but somehow she still managed to stop the furious girl in her tracks. The redhead blinked in confusion and looked up at the raven-haired woman. Shizune stared into Tayuya's eyes, her expression calm and unreadable.

"Tayuya-kun, let me tell you one thing," the woman spoke evenly, her tone expressing serenity and understanding. Tayuya stared at her in a mix of confusion and spite, as she continued speaking. "No matter what you had in mind for Ibiki-san, I can assure you he would rather choose whatever torture you could come up with, rather than being in there with Hokage-sama right now." At the last words, Tayuya could see the hint of a smile on the woman's face.

Tayuya lowered her hand slowly, smirking slightly at the black-haired woman as she stopped struggling against the boy. Judging from what she had seen of the Hokage during the short time they had been in her office, Tayuya had no doubt that the old hag could make the black-clad freak's life a living hell if she so wished. She just wished that she could be in there to see it happen.

Now that she had stopped struggling, Tayuya abruptly became aware of the pressure against her back. The boy was still holding her close, not yet having let go of her, and Tayuya could feel his steady heartbeat against the upper left side of her back, right below the wound in her shoulder. Her own heart sped up at the realization, and she could feel her own cheeks, against her own will, heat up.

To Tayuya's irritation, the other woman simply tilted her head almost imperceptibly to the side and smiled approvingly, obviously having seen her blush.

"Okay, okay, you can let me go now!" Tayuya snapped at Shikamaru as she pushed herself loose from his grip, perhaps a bit more harshly than she had needed, but she had no intention of letting him see her flushed face. Turning away from him, she spoke out, doing her best to sound calm and unaffected.

"Go on," she said simply to the black-haired woman. The Hokage's assistant nodded and motioned for them to follow her, but not before she had given the redhead a humorous smile.

She led them through long corridors, going down six or seven floors, and Tayuya knew that they were going underground. She didn't like being underground. It reminded her of the claustrophobic corridors in Orochimaru's lair, where you could never really know if you were alone or not, and where the walls themselves seemed likely to crush you at a moment's notice. Despite herself, Tayuya shuddered slightly. That was something she would prefer to forget all about.

After having walked for a good five minutes, it seemed like they had finally reached their destination. The corridor gave way to a large, gloomy room. It was wide and circular in shape, with a good height under the domed ceiling. Thick pillars stood along the walls with every few metres, reminding Tayuya of an old-fashioned torture chamber. Heavy bronze braziers were welded to the walls between the pillars, their flames casting a faint, flickering light over the spacious room. Shadows seemed to play in every nook and cranny in the walls and floor. The sight of the large, dark room made Tayuya even more reminiscent of the long years she had spent in her (now former) master's lair. It made her kind of uncomfortable.

"You two just wait here for a bit." Shizune said, and Tayuya turned to look at her, ceasing her investigation of the gloomy, cold room. "I have to go, but I will be right back," the black-haired woman added, with an encouraging smile at the young redhead, before she turned and headed back up the hallway they had arrived through. Tayuya looked after her as she left. Despite herself, she found that she liked the young woman. She was friendly towards her, although she seemed to have some sort of idea that she and the pineapple-head had something going on. This, of course, was ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous..

Tayuya startled as she suddenly felt something touching her shoulder. She jumped slightly, only then realizing that it was the pineapple-head's hand. He had placed his palm on her good, right shoulder, and was looking at her with a worried expression on his face. Tayuya glared at him, doing her best to hide the faint pink colour that threatened to spread over her cheeks. "W-what?"

"Are you okay?" he asked simply, tilting his head almost imperceptibly to the side. "You look kind of..." he trailed off, seemingly not knowing how to end the sentence. Tayuya stared at him. _I look like what? _she thought, wondering what he was trying to say. To her chagrin, his stare was making her flustered, and she could feel her cheeks heating up under his gaze.

"I'm fine." She said, half snapping at him as she turned away. She turned away from him, although she half regretted being so snappy against him. He was only trying to help, right? Gritting her teeth in irritation at her own treacherous feelings, she turned her head back to look at him, regarding him from the corner of her eye. "I'm okay, really.." she said, a bit softer than before. But even after having said that, it did not seem to comfort the black-haired boy. He still looked at her, his eyes following her every move. It made her slightly flushed, being watched like that.

_How did it turn out like this?_ Tayuya wondered to herself as her eyes scanned the room in front of her once again. In just one day, she had resolved to denounce her loyalty to the Sannin Orochimaru and joined the village she had once attacked, and she had actually been accepted! True, she had never had any real loyalty to the sick snake-bastard; it had been a choice of necessity that she had joined him, having nowhere else to go. She had spent many years in the service of the Sannin, and although he had granted her all the power she wished, she had always known that her loyalty did not lie with him. He was not someone she would ever aspire to be like, unlike her late team mates.

A movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she turned around to identify the new arrival. Her eyes widened, and her muscles tensed in preparation for an imagined attack. Ten shinobi had just entered the room, in company with the black-haired woman who had left just a few minutes ago. They were all wearing tight, grey clothes, with a thick vest and pants, katana slung on their backs. And they were all wearing white porcelain masks, in the shape of various animal faces. They were ANBU. Tayuya half expected them to recognise her and attack her, but the shinobi, the majority of them males, simply walked straight past her into the circular room.

Tayuya glared after them as they began spreading out in a circle around the centre of the room. As each ANBU reached his or her specific place, the shinobi sat down on the cold stone floor. Looking more closely, the ex-Sound girl thought she could see small furrow s dug into the solid stone floor. At this distance, however, she had no chance of deducing any specific pattern in the thin canals. She could only guess what their function was.

Her attention was suddenly distracted from the circle of seated shinobi in front of her, as her ears picked up a commotion of voices behind her. Turning, she saw a small group of people come through the hallway, the blonde Hokage in their lead. Behind her came a tall, big-bodied man, with a thick white mane that seemed to reach almost to his heavy feet. He was wearing a big, red vest with a grey jacket underneath, and his wooden sandals made a distinctive _clop clop_ against the stone floor. Next to him was the man the pineapple-head had identified as the man who had caused Tayuya all the pain she had endured in prison, and she glared coldly at him. To her surprise, the man returned her icy glare, suppressed anger in his eyes. From the way he kept pressing his palm against his left ear, it seemed almost like he was trying to regain his hearing.

Behind the two men came a tall, brown-haired woman in a trench coat, and a short blonde boy. Still, Tayuya could not see much of the latter two, due to the bulk of the man in the red vest. As they approached, the redhead was able to pick up a little of the conversation between the Hokage and the white-haired man.

"Tsunade, what is the meaning of this?" Tayuya heard him ask the blonde woman, her ears immediately perking at the name. There was something familiar with the name, but she could not place it. She watched the two older people intently, as the man continued. "Naruto and I are busy getting ready for our leave," the man continued, obviously displeased with the situation. She could see him scanning the room, his eyes briefly stopping on her before returning to the blonde woman.

The Hokage sighed softly, her eyes closed, before she opened them to stare evenly at the man.

"Jiraiya, I know that. However, I am in need of your and Naruto's high chakra-withstanding capabilities. Normally, I would have liked to use Sakura, but unfortunately she is currently on a mission with Team Gai in the Wave Country." The Hokage spoke evenly: her tone indicating that she would tolerate no objections or interruptions. The snow-haired man studied her for a few seconds, before he sighed and nodded, conceding to her wish.

At this point, both Sannin became aware of the fact that the red-haired Sound girl was staring at them, eyes wide open and mouth gawking in surprise and realisation. They both turned towards her, their eyes inquiring the reason for her surprised expression. Tayuya blinked a few times, before she asked with a trembling voice.

"A-are you guys the two Legendary Sannin?" When both of them nodded in confirmation, Tayuya's eyes widened in shock and awe. Having heard their names mentioned, she had immediately recognised them.

No wonder she had felt that the blonde woman was on a whole different level than herself! If what they said was true, the two people standing before were in fact Orochimaru's old teammates, and were deemed among the strongest shinobi in the world. Looking at the white-haired man she could well understand it, but she still could not understand how the blonde woman could be the legendary Tsunade. She simply looked too young. To have been on Orochimaru's team she would've been around fifty, and the woman didn't look like she was older than her late twenties. But something told Tayuya that she would be wise not to judge the woman by her looks.

Only now did Tayuya look at the person standing behind the two Sannin, the one this Jiraiya had called Naruto, and she recognised him immediately. Between his spiky blonde hair and his hideous orange jacket, there was no mistaking it: it was the energetic, retarded brat who had slapped his ass towards her during her battle with the pineapple-head. What the fuck was he doing here? Tayuya had no idea, but she did not enjoy his presence. Her eyes became sharp as she looked at him.

After a few moments, it seemed the blonde noticed her gaze, because he turned his head towards her. He looked at her, seemingly not recognising her at first. He narrowed his eyes in concentration, and leaned forward as if trying to get a better look at her. Then, finally, he must've recognised her, as his eyes widened in realisation. His body tensed, and Tayuya half expected him to fly on her, but the white-haired Sannin stopped him before he could do anything.

"What is she doing here?!" The blonde brat exclaimed loudly. The Hokage turned her head to glare at him, silencing him for the time being, before taking charge of the situation.

"Okay everyone, quiet down." Tsunade ordered, before she turned to her raven-haired assistant. "Shizune, will you prepare the girl for this? I need to discuss some details with Jiraiya." In response, her protégé nodded in acknowledgement before gently leading a rather reluctant Tayuya to the side. The redhead cast a half-hesitant, half-helpless glance back at Shikamaru as Shizune pushed her gently in the right direction.

"Will you now tell me what is going on?" Jiraiya asked impatiently, as he looked at the redhead being led away by the Hokage's assistant. He then turned his eyes back to the blonde woman, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Who is she?" Tsunade breathed out softly, before she spoke, her eyes resting on Shikamaru. He met her glance evenly, trying not to show how uncomfortable he felt at the moment.

"She is one of Orochimaru's elite shinobi and, according to Shikamaru here, a defector." Tsunade did little to hide the scepticism in her voice, but that was not unexpected on Shikamaru's part. That an elite shinobi would defect was unlikely, but he believed in the redhead.

If the old Sannin was surprised at the identity of the red-haired girl, he did not show it outwardly. He simply stared at the Hokage for a few moments, before his eyes turned to Shikamaru and then Tayuya, who seemed to currently have a heated discussion with Shizune. His eyes then wandered back to the Hokage again.

"Let me guess; you want to seal her cursed mark?" he spoke simply, having already guessed the reason for them being in the basement. The Hokage simply nodded slowly in response.

As the two Sannin discussed the details involved in the sealing of Tayuya's mark, the shinobi in the bright orange jacket turned to Shikamaru. Naruto stared at him, his expression easily betraying emotions of confusion, disappointment and disbelief. Shikamaru sighed softly. It was the same expression Kiba had had when he had found out about Tayuya's identity. Like Kiba, Naruto had been part of their failed mission. And out of the five people on their team, Naruto had been the one who was closest to Sasuke. So in a way, Naruto was perhaps the one who had the most to blame the flame-haired girl for.

"Why is she here with you?" Naruto inquired as he looked at Shikamaru, his eyes occasionally moving over to where the girl in question stood. "Why are you helping her, after she helped Sasuke get away?"

Shikamaru breathed out softly, before he answered the normally energetic blonde.

"She used to be an enemy, yes. But now she wants to get away from Orochimaru, so I want to help her. You can understand that, right?" Shikamaru answered, appealing to Naruto's deep-running hatred for the renegade Sannin. Since one of Naruto's highest wishes was to get Sasuke back from Orochimaru, he could most likely relate to other people wanting to get away from the Sannin too. Shikamaru ran his hand slowly through his black hair, as he watched Naruto's reaction. The blonde seemed to be deep in thought for a few moments, his eyes mere slits and his lips pushed forward in a sort-of thoughtful expression. Then he suddenly smiled, beamed even.

"Yeah, I understand that."

- - -

"You will have to take your clothes off, Tayuya-san," Shizune explained stubbornly, exasperated by the lack of cooperation from the formerly enemy shinobi. Obviously, the young girl felt uncomfortable with taking off her clothes with so many people present, but it was a necessity. "Like I said, this operation will not work fully if you are not undressed."

Tayuya scowled at the woman, but she understood the merit in her words. For a sealing to work, you needed physical contact with the skin, and ideally as little clothes as possible, as to not to interfere with the process. That didn't mean she liked the idea of it.

"I want to keep my underwear on!" Tayuya demanded stubbornly, and the black-haired woman conceded, showing her palms as a sign of acceptance. Tayuya nodded briefly, and glared over at the pineapple-head, as if blaming him for the current situation, before she began taking off her clothes. The red-haired girl swiftly removed her baggy pants, her loose-fitting shirt and her black socks, leaving her with only her white panties and bra. Now, Tayuya wished that she had worn something else. Some black underwear would have covered her, admittedly mediocre, attributes better than the white fabric she was currently wearing.

Shikamaru watched Tayuya as she undressed and moved towards the circle in the centre of the floor, concern's cold talons gripping into his mind. He hoped she would be okay. Behind him, he heard the Sannin Jiraiya suggesting that the redhead should remove _all_ her clothes, "for better chakra circuitry", a suggestion which was followed by the sound of the Hokage bopping the white-haired Sannin over the head, electing a surprised grunt from the latter.

Ignoring the little commotion behind her, Tayuya walked to the centre of the room, as she had been instructed, and sat down on the stone floor. She quivered slightly as her almost-naked body made contact with the cold and rough surface under her, but she folded her legs and sat up straight, trying to ignore the numbing cold in her behind. She felt very uncomfortable being the centre of attention to everyone in the room, and not just because she was practically naked.

She stared at the masked elite Shinobi sitting in a circle around her, letting her eyes wander from one to another. She didn't recognize any of the masks immediately, but she knew that it was a good possibility that some of the ANBU here had participated in raping her. But if any of the ANBU recognized her, they didn't show it. The masked shinobi sat like statues on the floor, spaced in a circle about twelve metres in diameter. Every single one was sitting in the exact same position, with the legs folded and their hands forming the seal of the horse.

Removing her brown eyes from the ANBU, Tayuya took her time to look at the pattern etched into the floor all around her. Thin canals snaked their way through the rough stone floor in intricate swirls and patterns. She frowned, trying to follow them with her eyes, but every time she tried to track one of the lines, she lost it before long, the pattern plummeting into random chaos before her annoyed eyes. After a few attempts of discerning the pattern she gave up, as it was starting to give her a slight headache.

Suddenly, the lines on the floor lighted up in a shining blue colour. Tayuya startled, before she realized that the ANBU had begun pouring chakra into the crevasses in the floor. The gloomy room was lit up, casting an eerie gleam on the stone walls and the masks of the people around her. The pattern on the floor was all of a sudden very clear to Tayuya. Each of the masked Shinobi were sitting inside a marked circle, from which a myriad of lines snaked over the floor, splitting, turning and inverting upon themselves in seemingly random directions. She then realized, unsurprisingly, that the whole confusing, chaotic pattern was centred upon her. The circle carved into the floor around her also lighted up with chakra, as did a circle on either side of her. She had not noticed those before.

The function of the circles on either side of her suddenly became obvious to her, as the white-haired geezer and the blonde brat sat down on either side of her, facing her. Of course, they were there to absorb and focus the chakra from the other people into her. Tayuya turned her head from left to right, from the older Sannin to the irritating brat. She scowled slightly at them, especially the old man, who seemed unable to keep his eyes from her chest. She was this close to hitting him, but she knew it would not help any in her current situation.

She then became aware of the fact that the blonde boy next to her was smiling. And without a shadow of doubt, he was smiling at her! Turning her head towards him, momentarily ignoring the perverted old man, she glared at the blonde who had tricked her during their battle in the forest more than a month back. He still held the same cheesy grin, and the whisker-like marks on his cheek made him look that much more like a satisfied rat.

Tayuya scowled at him, before she opened her mouth to speak.

"Why are you smiling at me, you damn rat?" she demanded to know. Her insult did not seem to faze the blonde, as he simply smiled wide and sat up straight. It seemed to Tayuya like he was trying to inflate his chest, because he breathed in before he answered in a cheerful, bold voice:

"Your name is Tayuya, right?" When she nodded slowly in reply, still unsure why he was asking her that, he just smiled wider and beat his fist on his chest. _Damn macho freak._ "Nice to meet you. I am Uzumaki Naruto, the man who will be the next Hokage!" Tayuya lifted an eyebrow in response. Was this guy serious? Did he really think that a brat like him could be the leader of one of the Great Shinobi Villages? Then again, from what she had learned from the pineapple-head, this guy had taken on both Kimimaro and subsequently the Uchiha brat they had been transporting back to Orochimaru.

The mere fact that the brat had survived both fights, seemingly without any massive injuries as far as Tayuya could judge by looking at him, told her that this was no ordinary shinobi. She smirked at him, and tilted her head to the side. "Well, good luck with that." She said flat-out sarcastically, her smirk growing slightly. But much to her chagrin, the stupid blonde only beamed in satisfaction. Tayuya mentally face palmed, her smirk lessening: the idiot had not even grasped the sarcastic intentions in her tone! Could he be any more of a retard? Glancing at the Sannin to her left, it seemed he too was exasperated by the obvious lack of awareness in the brat, judging by his disbelieving expression.

- - -

"Shikamaru, I want you to place the seal on her." Shikamaru turned towards the Hokage, his eye brow lifted in surprise at her words. Why would she want him to do it? Surely there must be someone else in the room that would be better suited than him? Shikamaru did not doubt his own abilities, but he knew that sealing required quite a delicate chakra control, which he was not sure he possessed. Tsunade seemed to have understood the unspoken question in his expression, because she continued, explaining her reasoning to him.

"As you probably know, a seal will have to be renewed every once in a while, to ensure that it is strong enough to combat the power it is attempting to seal away." Tsunade explained, while looking over at the red-haired girl sitting in the middle of the room. She then turned her brown eyes to Shikamaru, her expression serious. "This process is most easily performed with the same chakra signature as the original seal, and since I expect you to be with her all the time in the foreseeable future, it's the most obvious choice." Tsunade finished matter-of-factly. Shikamaru sighed softly. She was right of course, but that didn't mean he liked it any more.

- - -

Once again sighing softly to himself and muttering a 'troublesome' under his breath, Shikamaru walked to the centre of the room to stand behind Tayuya. He looked down at her, letting his eyes wander over her naked back. She was only wearing her rather girly, white underwear, letting him for the first time get a good look at her torso. He now realised how battered she had become after her stay in the prison: dark bruises covered her back, sides and arms, where she had presumably been beaten and kicked. The redhead had also removed the bandage around her shoulder, allowing him to look at the wound in her shoulder. It had healed somewhat, he realised with satisfaction, but he was still looking at an open hole in the girl's shoulder. _That has to hurt like hell_, he thought to himself, as he looked at the dark red wound. And right next to the injury in her left shoulder, was the cursed seal, the one that he was supposed to seal shut. He looked down at his left palm, where the Hokage had drawn a circle and lots of small symbols with her blood. It was up to him to do this now.

At this moment, the redhead turned her head back to look at Shikamaru, having noticed his presence. The look on the girl's face was not one he had expected to see. Rather than her normally over-confident and unshakable attitude, Tayuya looked very, very nervous. Her lower lip was quivering, and Shikamaru suddenly pitied her a lot. She looked so vulnerable, sitting on the floor almost completely naked and with lots of people around her. She reminded him of a forlorn kitten.

"Don't worry Tayuya, everything will be fine." He tried to comfort her, grimacing slightly at how unsecure his voice sounded. Really, he was no help at all, he thought berating to himself. Still, the girl seemed a bit more comfortable, and he almost thought he could see a small, appreciative smile on her lips before she turned her head back to the front. Shikamaru blinked a few times: had he just imagined that, or had she smiled at him?

Shikamaru didn't have a lot of time to think about the subject, because his mind was soon occupied by another matter. It seemed like they had only been waiting for him, because Naruto and Jiraiya each took hold Tayuya's wrists, her arms spread out to the sides. Shikamaru could see the muscles in her shoulders and upper arms bunching, and he assumed that the sealing process wasn't all that pleasant for her. From what he knew about sealing, it seemed like Jiraiya and Naruto were channelling the chakra from the ANBU sitting in a circle around them, and pushing it into Tayuya through her arms.

Like Shikamaru had guessed, Tayuya was not exactly comfortable. It felt like a pressure was building up inside her chest from all the chakra which was being pushed into her. She could almost feel it churning around inside her torso. Holding back a small whimper of discomfort, Tayuya focussed her mind on breathing steadily, but it was difficult. The pressure inside her just kept on rising and rising, until she felt like she would burst from the sheer amount of chakra inside her. It was as if her skin was stretching to the breaking limit, as if her muscles were expanding without control. It was a horrible feeling, and it just kept getting worse.

Shikamaru could see that Tayuya was not feeling well, that much was obvious. Her muscles were tensing and clenching all over her body, her finger gripping spastically in the air. He suspected that it was only the steady grip of Jiraiya and Naruto around her wrists that kept her from scratching at her own skin. He hated seeing her like this. He did not want to see her in pain. He glanced at the older Sannin for directions. Jiraiya looked at him and mouthed the words 'not yet' with his lips. A thin film of sweat was visible on the man's forehead, and Naruto looked equally perspiring.

Before Shikamaru's astonished eyes, Tayuya's cursed seal suddenly began activating. Thin, black lines spread over the flame-haired girl's pale skin, across her shoulders and neck in a strange, sharp-cornered pattern. The two holding her arms had obviously noticed the change too, because both Jiraiya and Naruto tightened their grip around her wrists, not allowing her to move.

Suddenly, Tayuya tossed her head back, and Shikamaru could all of a sudden see her face. Her expression was twisted into a grimace of pain, her mouth wide open in a silent scream. Her brown eyes were wild and unfocussed, and even though she looked almost straight at Shikamaru there was no recognition in her eyes. It was as if she looked straight past him into an unfathomable distance. How much longer could she possibly endure? Shikamaru was starting to get really worried.

It was too much! Too, too much! Tayuya was burning up inside. Her whole body was on fire, every cell in her body screaming with the vast amount of chakra being forced inside her. Tayuya had no control of herself, her arms struggling wildly against the grip of the two shinobi holding her, but they were unyielding. She was only halfway aware of something warm trickling down her legs, her mind unable to control her own bodily functions. Throwing her head back, she suddenly looked up at a dark figure standing above her. Who was this? Was it the figure from her dreams? She thought a dark, antlered creature stood above her, looking down at her. Was it...?

Shikamaru could see that the girl was almost thrashing against the hold of the two shinobi, and he wondered how much more her frail body could take. She was still not fully healed, and he was worried about her health. Then, the cursed seal suddenly began activating its second level, without the first level even finishing. As the black lines spread across Tayuya's body, the skin around the lines turned darker, to a light ebony colour. Tayuya's crimson hair began growing erratically, and small horns began sprouting from her skull. It all looked very morbid and painful.

"Now!" Shikamaru blinked. Who had said that? Then he realised what he was supposed to do. "Shikamaru, now!" the white-haired Sannin said forcefully, his expression twisted in concentration, sweating pouring from his brow and down his face. Hesitating for only a fraction of a second, Shikamaru slammed his palm into Tayuya's shoulder, right on her active cursed seal. As his palm touched her skin, it felt hot, almost painfully hot. Shikamaru grimaced, his fingers gripping into Tayuya's skin, refusing to let go. He had to hold on, for her sake. After all the discomfort she had gone through, it was the least he could for her. He pressed his palm harder against her, ensuring that the seal on his hand was pushed against the mark on her shoulder.

Tayuya screamed out in pain, as all the chakra inside her suddenly seemed to exit her in one, single spot. Her shoulder burned, and it felt like the massive chakra inside her was boring straight through her body. It seemed to last forever, at least in her mind, until suddenly, the pain stopped completely. She was half aware of the cursed seal retracting, although she could not remember having even released it. Her vision swam, and she felt nauseous. Her body tried to move, but nothing seemed to respond the way it was supposed to.

Then, there was an odd sensation of falling, before someone caught her in their arms, and the darkness overtook Tayuya's eyes. She knew she was falling unconscious, but she did not resist. She had no power left to oppose it. The last thing she heard before the darkness of sleep drowned out all external sensations, was the Sannin's echoing voice.

"Sealing successful."

**To be Continued...**

Again, I'm very sorry for my usual slowness in updating this. Hopefully, the next chapter will be up faster, but as usual I can't make any promises :-P

Until next time, take care. Oh, and leave a review. Please? I love reviews! :-)

Haraio

9


	15. Chapter 15: Betrayed?

Hi again :-)

Damn, this took longer than I had hoped it would, but at least I managed to finish this before the exams begin. So while I go back to studying like crazy for my exams, you can all enjoy this chapter.

Oh, and for those who didn't notice, I posted up another TayuShika oneshot, this one with lots of lemony goodness. Remember, if you add me on Author Alert you will get notified every time I post up more TayuShika ;-)

All right then, on with the story. Time for some fluffy things! :-D

Disclaimer: I still do not own Naruto. Damn you Kishimoto!

**Chapter 15: Betrayed?**

Konoha seemed to be having an abundance of nice and warm late-summer days at the moment, a fact that pleased the village's many citizens to no end. The sun was still shining warmly from a near cloud-less sky, the beautiful ultramarine blue of the heavens filling men, women and children with optimism and energy. Only a few dark clouds on the horizon threatened with rain, but this little detail could not deter the positive attitude that resided over the large Shinobi Village.

Bright light met Tayuya as she opened the metallic door, and the cool air of the refrigerator struck pleasantly against her face, tingling on her skin as she peeked inside. Her brown eyes scrutinized the content of the fridge, a characteristically wondering expression colouring her features as her gaze surveyed the shelves inside the cool storage, looking for something edible. A small smile spread across her pink lips as she found what she was looking for, and her hand reached inside and snatched the green fruit from its location on the bottom shelf.

Standing up, Tayuya closed the metal door with one hand, while she playfully tossed the apple up in the air with the other hand. She caught the lime-green fruit easily in midair and put it to her lips, her white teeth sinking into the delicious flesh of the apple. Before long, the small apartment was filled with the sound of Tayuya chewing not-so-quietly on the tasty fruit. She was hungry; it had been several hours since her, admittedly late-noon, breakfast, and she had no idea when or if her host would cook up something for dinner. The raven-haired boy seemed to be rather relaxed on the subject of when to eat.

The flame-haired girl's eyes narrowed slightly as her mind wandered to her host and, she admitted reluctantly, her saviour. The pineapple-haired boy was currently taking a shower, made evident by the near inaudible sound of running water coming from the bathroom on the opposite side of the apartment from the kitchen. This, of course, left Tayuya free to do whatever she wished in the meantime. As she bit off another piece of soft, slightly sour apple, Tayuya walked to the centre of the living room and sank down into the brown leather sofa. She liked sitting there, she had realised in the last week. She enjoyed just relaxing there, to lean back against the comfortable dark leather, and let her thoughts wander wherever they wished.

As Tayuya sat on the sofa, her hand subconsciously sought towards her shoulder. When she felt her fingers absently touch the skin of her curse mark, she froze briefly. Why did she keep touching it? She didn't expect it to feel any different than the last time she had touched it, yet nonetheless her fingers kept wandering towards it. She could feel the slightly rougher skin around her curse mark, where an intricate and powerful seal had been etched into her body close to a week earlier. She only remembered fragments from the sealing itself, having blacked out at the height of the ritual. Of course, her host had filled her in on the aftermath.

Tayuya had no doubts why they had sealed away her curse mark; Tsunade, the blonde woman who was the current Hokage of the village, had made it very clear to her. The reason was twofold. Firstly, it was to protect Tayuya against the influence of her former master, and make it easier for her to break free from him. The second reason was perfectly clear to Tayuya, and not just because the Hokage had stated it very directly and explicitly. If her defection from the Sound Village turned out to be a lie, she would be a lot easier for Konoha to take down if she did not have the power of Orochimaru flowing through her veins. Tayuya snorted; she could hardly blame them for distrusting her. Hell, if someone had told her a month earlier that she would be taking residency in this village she'd probably have laughed before kicking their nuts up through their stomach.

But still, here she was, and trying to start a new life. She was done with Orochimaru, done with the Sound Village. Tayuya leaned back in the sofa, feeling the sun warming the back of her head. It was not a bad place to stay, by any means. It was just that she had hardly expected things to turn out this way. She was serious in defecting from Orochimaru, and becoming a Konoha citizen, perhaps even a Konoha shinobi in time. And she would just need to take her time and gain the trust of the Hokage and the rest of the village. For now, she only had the trust of a single person.

Once again, Tayuya found her thoughts drifting towards the younger boy who had saved her from the horrible prison, and who had taken care of her in the past two and a half weeks. She still did not understand how he could be so nice towards her, and she wondered what she was to him. Obviously, he was not seeing her as an enemy; if he was, she would have been dead by now, or worse. Could it possibly be true like he had said? Could he, in fact, care for her? Tayuya did not know, and she did not know how she felt about the current situation, either.

Strange as it was, Tayuya sort of missed how easy her motivation had been earlier. Her reason to live after the shameful defeat in the forest had simply been to get back at the boy and the blonde Sand slut. It had been the sole reason of her existence, and if she had managed to complete that goal she would have been happy to die and be done with her short but pain-filled life. But now, things were a bit more complex. She no longer needed to take her revenge, at least not against the pineapple-head. So what was her purpose now?

Lost in her own confusing thoughts, Tayuya wasn't pulled out of her reverie before she realised that she had finished the apple, down to the last little piece. Licking her fingers clean of the slightly sour fruit-juice one by one, Tayuya stretched herself on the sofa, the joins in her limbs creaking softly. Damn, she was getting too complacent and restless by just fidgeting around in the pineapple-head's apartment. Still, one of the restrictions that had been placed on her temporary stay in the village was that she would not leave the building without the company of her lazy-ass host. Tayuya scowled; the brat was taking too long in the shower. She wanted to go somewhere else than this boring apartment, damn it!

Tayuya glanced towards the front door on the opposite side of the room, through the small hallway between the front door and the living room. She could just go out for a little while, right? She would be back before the pineapple-head even noticed that she was gone. Slowly, the red-haired ex-Sound girl stood up from the couch, her eyes fixed on the front door.

- - -

Tugging an olive-green shirt over his head, Shikamaru walked out from the bathroom, his still-damp black hair sticking to his skull. Apart from the matt green shirt, he was wearing a pair of loose, dark blue jeans and black socks, and looked as lazy as ever. He had just had a long, nice shower. His reason for having a shower this late (it was already well past noon) was simple: Tayuya, like any girl, really took her own sweet time in the shower. Shikamaru was honestly surprised there was any warm water left for him by the time the ex-Sound girl had finished.

Shikamaru's eyes glanced around the apartment, immediately noting the absence o f one particular detail. The red-haired, troublesome girl in question was not there. A quick check of his bedroom revealed that she was not there either. That could only mean one thing, and one didn't have to be a genius like Shikamaru to figure that out. The girl had left his apartment, and this again could mean one of two things. Either she had lied to him about defecting and had made a run for it, which he kind of doubted, or she had simply decided to go out for a bit, something Shikamaru found more probable. The problem was, the feisty redhead was not supposed to go anywhere without him, so if someone caught her alone he would be the one who would hear it from the Hokage.

"You're going to be the death of me, troublesome woman..." Shikamaru muttered half to himself as his fingertips rubbed on his forehead, trying to contain his irritation. It seemed like the older girl was doing nothing but getting him into more and more trouble. He caught himself wondering whether it was intentional, or if she just had a knack for getting herself into unfortunate situations. Maybe he would have to ask her, once he found her.

After having quickly put on his chuunin vest and his shoes, Shikamaru grabbed his keys as he headed out the door. He locked the front door to his apartment, testing the handle once to make sure the door was locked properly. Satisfied, he headed for the staircase of the apartment building. His flat was on the top floor, two storeys above the ground level, so he had to walk down two flights of stairs to get down to the street and start looking for the troublesome redhead. But just as Shikamaru reached the staircase and was about to head down, a fleeting sound reached his ears. It was a strange and unusual sound, which still somehow sounded familiar.

Shikamaru stopped and looked around, his ears trying to pinpoint the location of the sound. It was a strange melody, a haunting flurry of tones which seemed to come from everywhere at once. Somehow, the tones reminded him of cold, moonless nights and the wide ocean. The young boy strained his ears, doing his best to try and figure out where it originated from. It sounded like it was coming from above, which meant that it had to come from the roof itself. The flat roof of the apartment building was where Shikamaru often went to watch the clouds, and he didn't see it as unlikely that the girl had went up there, especially if she wanted to be alone.

Quickly, Shikamaru ascended the stairs up to the roof, the haunting melody getting stronger with every step he took. He was definitely on the right track. He was relieved that the girl had not decided to run off, he realised. He did not want her to leave, strange as it was considering that she did little except get him into trouble. But even so, he didn't mind. The realisation had become more and more apparent to him in the last couple of days; he enjoyed her company, as troublesome as it was.

Reaching the top of the stairs, Shikamaru pushed the thick metal door to the roof open and stepped out into the sunlight. He lifted his hand, shielding his eyes from the glaring light for a few seconds, as he looked at the figure before him. Tayuya was sitting cross-legged on a large metal vent jutting out from the stone floor, her eyes closed and her long, red hair released to the wind. A long, thin metal flute was pressed gently against her lips, and with every breath she made a new series of mysterious notes filled the air.

Shikamaru stood as mesmerized as he watched her, not wanting to disturb the girl and break the air of serenity that hung around her like a delicate silk veil. He dared not even move, afraid that any movement would break the trance of the girl's poignant melody. The only thing he could do was to stand still and let the melody coming from her lips flow over him like gentle rain.

Tayuya was smiling softly to herself as she played the flute, her eyes closed as she lost herself in the melody she played. The notes came naturally from her lips, and her fingers moved almost instinctively over the holes in the flute. When had she learned to play the flute? She did not know, and she really didn't care. She was happy now; playing the flute was one of the great joys in her painful existence, and she hadn't played it in a long time. It felt very nice to be able to sit here, free and unconcerned, and just play.

As she played her rather cheerful melody, she became aware of a nearby presence. It started as a niggling sensation in the back of her neck, a feeling which she hardly paid attention to. But slowly the presence became more and more pronounced, until she could no longer ignore it. There was a chakra signature nearby, and she realised that she knew who it belonged to.

Slightly annoyed at being disturbed in the midst of her playing, Tayuya removed the metallic instrument from her lips. Okay, so he didn't disturb her directly, but his gaze was still having an impact on her concentration. She lowered the flute and turned her head to look at him. He was standing over by the door, simply looking at her. When she stopped playing, he raised an eye brow and walked over to where she was sitting.

"Why did you stop playing?" he asked her as he approached her, one of his hands running idly through his hair, something which she had noticed him doing quite often. Tayuya could tell just by looking at it that his raven hair was still somewhat moist, which told her he had just gotten out of the shower. Had he been worried about her, since he had come looking for her right after his shower? "It was a nice melody."

"Your staring makes me uneasy." Tayuya muttered defensively, watching him as he approached her slowly. She scooted sideways on the large metallic vent and he sat down next to her. She could feel her own body tense up at his presence, but not in the way she was used to. It felt...different. She glanced over at him. He was sitting only half a meter from her, but his eyes were obviously elsewhere. He was looking up at the sky, seemingly lost in his own thoughts.

Hesitantly, she resumed playing on her flute. For some reason she felt kind of nervous at his close proximity, and she caught herself wondering what he thought about her music. She almost wanted to slap herself silly. Why was she concerned with his opinion? His opinion would not affect her in any way whatsoever. At least that was what she tried to tell herself.

As the red-haired ex-Sound girl once again resumed playing her instrument, Shikamaru laid back on the vent, his arms resting comfortably behind his head. The sun-warmed sheet metal felt comfortable against his back, and the pleasant melody filled his ears. He watched the few thin clouds on the sky slowly drift over the warm blue, as Tayuya played her tunes. The music actually complemented the simple occupation nicely, and Shikamaru found that he was enjoying himself more than he had in quite a while.

They both lost the grip on time as they sat there, both of them deep in their own thoughts. Tayuya had closed her brown eyes once again, and let herself drift with the music. Her head rocked softly from side to side as she played, her half-length red hair waving with the gentle motion. Her melody started out softly, small, shy tones replacing one another. Soon, however, her music picked up speed, her notes becoming more forceful and confident. The melody was strong, secure, before it after a while plunged into a deep, melancholic air, almost haunting in its characteristic. All the while she played, the boy next to her listened to the melody in silence.

As the last few tones trickled out from her flute, Tayuya opened her eyes and slowly removed her pink lips from the instrument. She did her best to suppress a small smile. She had played everything she needed to, and emptied her heart of all insecurities and doubts. She felt refreshed, almost born anew. It had been a long while since the last time she had had the chance to empty out all her feelings like this, and she felt kind of happy, for the first time in Kami knew how long.

Tayuya's brown eyes turned slowly to her side. The pineapple-head was still lying on his back, exactly the same as when she had started playing. If it hadn't been for the fact that his eyes were open, Tayuya might have thought he was sleeping. She didn't know how long they had been there, in the exact same positions, but judging by how far the sun had moved over the ultramarine blue sky, it must have been at least an hour. He had actually listened to her music the whole time, she now realised, her face colouring a bit at the thought. No one had ever listened to her music in the way he had just done. Even if it was tones and not words, it still felt as if she had shared her innermost feelings with him, and the thought made her feel somewhat vulnerable. Still, for some reason, she didn't mind.

Shikamaru was still watching the clouds, his eyes lazily following the small white dots as they trailed their way over the sky. He simply let the soft tones from Tayuya's flute ease themselves into his mind, evoking shadowed images and impressions in his thoughts. It was as if he could suddenly glimpse faces and figures in the clouds above. He laid there next to her in silence, at the same time listening to her song and watching the clouds. When the girl finished her melody, Shikamaru slowly lowered his eyes from the sky, to settle on the female next to him, realising that she was looking at him too.

"It was a nice melody," he mumbled, unsure what to say. He didn't know what the long and intricate melody meant to her, but it was a fine tune nonetheless. The changing patterns and moods in the song seemed to speak to him, only that he could not understand what it aimed to tell him. He looked at Tayuya, and she looked back at him. For a few moments, they shared a silent moment as their eyes connected with each other. Then, the red-haired girl broke the lock and turned her head to look straight forward. "Thanks," she muttered softly, after a few seconds.

Tayuya stared straight ahead, her thoughts racing through her skull. He had actually complimented her on her music. Had anyone ever done that before? She did not know. Orochimaru had certainly approved of her music; at least in the way it could kill, which obviously was a different matter altogether. But this helpful yet somewhat annoying guy, this pineapple-head, her former enemy, had not only listened to her music, but also appreciated it for what it was. She didn't know what to say.

It was not only this little incident which troubled her mind. Ever since he had appeared in her cell in that damn prison, he hadn't done anything but treat her like an equal. He had hidden her in his apartment, given her food and medical aid, and even negotiated for her to be able to stay in his village. He had put himself at risk, just for her, an enemy. And what had she done in return? She had been a total bitch towards him all the time. Tayuya swallowed, her cheeks turning red with shame. Why had it taken so long for her to realise it? Sure, it was in her nature to be as strong and independent as possible, but did she still have any sensible reason to treat him like shit?

"I...I wanted to...I mean...thank you..." she muttered, her words stumbling slightly over each other as she tried to make it sound level-headed without being cheesy. She grimaced slightly at how nervous her voice sounded, as she turned her head to look at him. His eyes looked back into hers, a wondering expression on his face. She gritted her teeth and shut her eyes tightly, as she forced the words on her mind out through her lips. "Thank you for letting me start my life anew!"

Shikamaru stared at her for a few seconds, wondering if he had just heard correctly. Had she just thanked him? That was a new one. He sat up and looked at her, his eyes meeting her brown ones. Her face was coloured faintly red, and her body was tense. He breathed out softly and ran his hand through his hair, now realising how stiff his body was. They must have been up there on the roof for quite a while, seeing as the sun was already starting to descend from the zenith of the sky.

"No need to thank me, Tayuya," he answered her, looking at her with a sideways glance as he watched the emptying streets between the buildings around them. It had never really been an option for him; to him, it was obvious what he had to do, or he would have been troubled about it for a long time. Even if she had once been an enemy to him, she was a woman first and foremost, albeit a noisy and violent one, and he could not stand seeing a lady getting hurt.

"It was no big deal."

"Why did you, though? Why put yourself at risk just to save me?" Tayuya inquired of him, looking straight at his eyes. They were sitting close together on the still comfortably warm metal vent, their bodies only a few hand widths apart, as if they had been friends forever. Tayuya leaned her elbows on her thighs as she looked at him, waiting for his answer.

Shikamaru sighed softly to himself. How was he going to explain? She had asked the same question a few times before, and he still had not come up with a satisfactory answer. He leaned forward, sitting the same way as she was, and looked at her, his head tilted to the side.

"I guess I've just come to care about you," he said, letting her think what she wanted from his words. He did care about her, but just how deep his feelings for her went even he did not know. All he knew was that she was becoming more and more important in his life. She completed something in him, in some way that he could not explain. "I just know that you're important to me," he finished, looking at her to gauge her reaction to his words. He still had no idea how she felt about him.

Tayuya couldn't help but smile slightly at his words, and she let her gaze wander over the quiet village in front of them as she contemplated his words. Could it really be that he did in fact care about her? She hoped it was not just something he was saying, but that he really meant it. And why was she hoping it? _Will it make me happy, if he really does care about me?_ Tayuya reflected to herself, realising that the answer was a positive. She knew it now. She wanted him to care for her, like no one had ever done before. If he could care for her, then there would be something happy for her too in this world, and not just pain and misery.

"You know, you should consider smiling more. It suits you," she suddenly heard him say. His casual comment took her by surprise, and she turned her face around to look at him. Only then did she become conscious of the fact that she was smiling like a giddy moron. She could feel her cheeks heat up as the realisation hit her, and she knew that she was blushing heavily. She could only imagine how red her face must've been.

"S-shut up...asshole!" she snapped back at him, half-heartedly irritated, trying to cover up her traitorous facial colour by turning back to look at the village. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him smiling slightly at her reaction. Damn him, now she was so embarrassed. She still could not believe how easily he made her blush all the time. Who was the last person who had been capable of making her blush like this? She could not even remember. She scowled slightly, looking sideways at him. "Don't joke with stupid crap like that all of a sudden."

"Who's joking?"

Tayuya turned to look at him, an expression of surprise on her features from his words. He had turned his head towards her too, and they were both staring into each other's eyes. The words she had been about to speak disintegrated on her lips. She could simply not think of anything smart and confident to say. It was almost as if someone had replaced her brain with cotton stuffing.

She could hear her own heart pounding faster in her chest, however much she tried to calm down and make it beat slower. All the feelings that she had suppressed for so long were rushing to the front; her own, shameful insecurities, her confusing feelings towards this boy, her lingering doubts in her own self. It was all coming to her at once; breaking down the mental barrier she had erected to shield it away.

Slowly, hesitantly, she leaned towards him. He was looking at her, his gaze making her cheeks heat up slightly. A tiny voice in her brain was screaming for her to snap out of it, afraid that she would get hurt again. Tayuya ignored it. If he was honest with her, and really cared about her, then this was something that she did not want to wake up from. She wanted someone to care for her too, to make her feel happy and alive. She stared into his eyes, gazing at the confusion residing within them as she slowly leaned closer.

What is she doing? Shikamaru thought to himself as he looked deep into the beautiful brown eyes of the girl in front of him. Sitting like this, with the sun bathing her face at an angle and light flowing gently over her features, she was really quite beautiful, he realised it now. Her fiery red hair was practically glinting in the sunlight, captivating his eyes. He couldn't help himself; he could only lean towards her in silence. He did not want to speak, afraid that any words he could say might startle her.

Their lips were so close to one another, only a few inches from each other. Their eyes were connected, not moving from each other, both teens completely immersed in the other's gaze. They had both approached the other, but now that they were so close, neither Tayuya nor Shikamaru dared make the final move. For a few moments they simply sat there, their bodies turned half towards each other on the big vent, the sun still bathing them in soft, warm light.

Tayuya was almost trembling. This close to him, she could smell his scent, hear every little breath that came from his lips, and look straight into his eyes. And yet she could not make the last move. What if he did not return her feelings? The uncertainty building up in her chest, a feeling Tayuya had rarely ever felt before, was almost overwhelming to her. Then, she felt a touch. She startled a bit, before she realised what it was. She could feel his hand on her side. There was nothing threatening about his touch; his palm was touching her side right between her chest and her ass, in a perfectly polite spot. The way his warm palm rubbed her skin through her shirt was so soft, so gentle. It was enough for her.

Shikamaru's eyes widened slightly as Tayuya's hand tenderly touched the side of his temple, before her caressing fingers ran through his hair to the back of his head. Then, taking a soft grip of his raven-black hair, she pulled his lips against her own. The first touch was like velvet, their lips barely touching each other. Then they repeated it, again and again, more daringly with each connection.

Tayuya closed her eyes and tilted her head to the side, before pushing her mouth against his from another angle. She could hardly believe what was going on; she was in fact kissing this guy, whom had once been her enemy, whom she had tried to kill only two months ago. But it just felt so right. A week ago she would have laughed at the thought of the two of them being so intimate with each other, but now they were. And she didn't mind at all.

Similarly to the red-haired girl, Shikamaru could scarcely fathom what they were doing. He had never anticipated that this fiery, foul-mouthed, troublesome woman could be so...so soft. Her lips were so silky; he simply couldn't help himself but to return her kiss. His hands were on her sides, holding her gently as they pressed their lips against each other. Her scent filled his nose, a sweet smell tinted with the odour of pineapple. Her velvety red hair brushed against his face, so smooth and silken to the touch. This was a completely new side of her, one that he had not expected to see.

As the moments trailed by, the two teens deepened their adoring kiss. Their bodies were turned fully towards each other, Tayuya's hands on Shikamaru's shoulder and the back of his head, and his hands at her sides. Both teens eagerly pressed their lips together, tasting the other's lips and enjoying it. The fiery redhead and the level-headed genius of Konoha were both caught up in the rapture of flowing feelings, their only focus on each other.

Caught up in the moment, Shikamaru suddenly let his hands move further down, his fingers caressing the shape of Tayuya's feminine behind. The feeling of his hands trespassing over the line and into the forbidden zone of her body made her eyes open up wide. _No! No no no!_

In her mind, dozens of faces suddenly rushed before her eyes. They were all males, younger and older men alike. She knew all of them, each face burned into her mind through pain and humiliation. The face of her father, those of her team mates, random strangers; each face represented another plunge into the darkness of the human mind, and how they had shaped her. Because of what they had all done to her, she had become the broken, traumatised wreck she was today. And now...now his face was adding itself in with the others.

With salty tears beginning to fill up her brown eyes, Tayuya suddenly broke violently away from the kiss. Before the boy she had just kissed could react, Tayuya had pulled her hand back from his shoulder, and a moment later her clenched fist connected with his nose. The force of the unsuspected punch threw the black-haired boy backwards, sending him tumbling off the metal vent they had been sitting on, blood pouring from his nose.

For a moment, Tayuya stood and looked at him, heavy tears pouring down her flushed cheeks. Once again she had almost come to trust someone, and once again she had been horribly betrayed. Choking down a broken sob, she spun around and ran towards the door that led down from the roof, her cardinal hair flowing behind her like a veil caught in the wind. The heavy metal door clanged shut behind her, leaving a bewildered Nara Shikamaru lying on the concrete floor, the descending sun still shining over his confused face.

**To be continued...**

Hehe, I really enjoy leaving you all with a cliff hanger like this.

Especially since I am now taking a two week hiatus to do my exams, so I won't have much time for writing or anything else. After I'm done with the exams, I will start writing immediately, but I will probably not have the next chapter up until mid-June at the earliest.

Still, I hope you will all keep reading and reviewing :-)

Pwetty pwease leave a review for me? –puppy eyes-

Until next time, take care and live well

Haraio

7


	16. Chapter 16: Regaining Trust

Hey, it's me again! :-D

I finally got around to finishing this chapter, after putting it on hold for half a month while I finished my exams and cleaned my apartment for the summer. I'm now back at my parents' house for the summer, and I'm trying to get back into my usual writing schedule.

If I said that exams were the only thing that hindered me from finishing this chapter much earlier, I would be lying. I recently got the new Prototype game, and I've been enjoying myself immensely with it, so blame the game if you got very impatient waiting for this chapter :-P

Anyway, I did very well on my exams (two B's and one C), and now I have vacation for the next month or so (apart from working part-time at a grocery store to earn money), so hopefully the next chapter won't take two months to finish.

Oh, and as a last head's up: I might write a second Hellsing one-shot in the near future, so those who are interested should keep their heads up :-P

Disclaimer: No, I still don't own Naruto. If I did, I would bring a certain redhead back ;)

**Chapter 16: Regaining Trust**

Tayuya stormed hurriedly down the stairs from the roof, the loud sound of her feet slapping against concrete steps echoing in the confined staircase. The thick metal door she had slammed shut on the way down rang like a haunting bell in her ears. As she descended the set of steps down to the third floor, two steps at a time, heavy tears fell from her cheeks and shattered like tiny crystals upon the unforgiving stone surfaces of the stairs. She couldn't stop the tears from flowing from her brown eyes, no matter how much she tried.

Why had she even hoped that she could trust someone like him? Why had she expected anything to be different? Hadn't she learned a single thing throughout her life? She knew that she could trust no one, and yet she had given this bastard, this pineapple-haired fucker, the benefit of her doubts. What a fool she had been. What a total, inexcusable idiot she was.

As she reached the bottom of the staircase, Tayuya leapt the last two steps, ignoring the brief surge of discomfort in her abused legs as she regained her balance and made a sharp left turn, heading down the hall. She didn't really know why she was heading for his apartment. A tiny voice in her head yelled angrily at her, telling her to get the fuck out of the building and run away from this fucking village.

She ignored it, brushing it away. She had nowhere to go. If she went outside without him escorting her, she would definitely be detained and get in even more trouble. Even if it was tempting just to get away from the bastard who had betrayed her, Tayuya would not risk going back to prison again. She did not want to end up in the same horrible situation again, no matter what happened. She would just find somewhere to be alone, to calm herself down, and then she would force him to help her out of the village, one way or the other.

Reaching the pineapple-head's apartment halfway down the hall, Tayuya tried the handle, only to discover to her chagrin that the door was securely locked. She was very tempted to kick the door in, to vent out some of the anger and stress burning and bubbling in her veins, but she could simply not find the strength to do it. Turning around, Tayuya instead leaned her back against the door and slumped down to the concrete floor. Her trembling arms wrapped around her knees, hiding her face as she sobbed quietly to herself.

When had she become as weak as this? Tayuya had always been one to rely on her own skill and strength to survive, and all the horrible things she had experienced had strengthened her mind and will. So why did she break down like this, just because of this guy? What was so different this time? What was it about him that made her like this? Tayuya squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her face against her knees, trying to stop the tears from flowing but failing miserably.

- - -

Above, on the roof of the apartment building, Shikamaru slowly pushed himself up with one hand. Like Tayuya, he was also failing to stop the gush of one of his body liquids, though his stream of fluid was crimson in colour. His left hand was covered in it as he tried to halt the flow of blood from his abused nose, and he could taste the unpleasant, metallic flavour in his mouth. The redhead had really punched him hard; Shikamaru was sure he had heard a small crack when her knuckles connected forcefully with his face. He fleetingly remembered Tayuya having punched Naruto too, in the forest. She had sent the blonde flying quite a distance and had displayed the same show of brute force that lurked underneath her frail physique.

But the girl's physical strength was not Shikamaru's main concern at the moment. He wondered why Tayuya had suddenly turned so violently upon him, and whether he had something to do with it. He had enjoyed the brief kiss they had shared, and he had been sure she had enjoyed it too, judging by the way she had responded to him. So why had she suddenly broken away from him?

Shikamaru stood up, his blood-stained left had still clutched around his nose, fighting a losing battle against the stream of warm, crimson liquid. Every time his fingers brushed against his nose, he grimaced slightly. Something definitely felt broken, or at least damaged by the ex-Sound girl's powerful punch. He made a small mental note to try and dodge her punch next time; the continued physical attacks were beginning to get really tiresome.

Stumbling for the first few steps, Shikamaru headed for the thick metal door separating him from the staircase down to the floor below. Grabbing the handle with both hands, he let the crimson flow leave his nostrils unhindered as he pulled the heavy door open and slipped inside, leaving red finger prints on the handle and a trail of crimson droplets behind him on the floor.

As Shikamaru descended the stairs, he became aware of the small dark specks on the light grey concrete surface of the steps. It didn't take him many seconds to realise that the dark spots were tears. The picture of the fiery redhead crying was one that made him somewhat uneasy; if someone as tough and tomboyish as her was crying, then he must've done something truly terrible. The thing was, he still didn't know what he had done. A few droplets of blood still dripped from the hand in front of his mouth, crimson drops shattering against the stairs and mingling with the dark spots already there.

At the bottom of the stairs, Shikamaru stopped and looked down the hallway. Some thirty metres away, he could see a figure slumped against the door to his apartment, huddled together in a small shape. Her face was hidden behind her knees and her red hair, but Shikamaru knew it was Tayuya. Relief washed over him. She had not run away. He had been worried that she would do something stupid, like trying to leave the Village. With her here in front of him, at least he had the opportunity to talk to her and solve the issue. He approached her slowly, warily, not wishing to upset the unstable redhead further.

The soft tapping of feet against the floor awoke Tayuya from her grieving, and she gritted her teeth in anger and misery as she realised who exactly was coming towards her. Pressing her face more forcefully against her knees, unwilling to show her face to the one who had upset her like this, she screamed out in anger.

"Stay the fuck away from me, bastard!"

Shikamaru stopped mid-step as Tayuya screamed at him, deciding not to push the unfortunate situation further by going any closer to her. He had halted about five metres from her, and now he simply leaned his back against the wall, watching the young girl carefully.

"What did I-" he begun, his voice careful and gentle, void of any accusatory tones. But before he could complete his question, the girl's trembling voice interrupted him.

"Fuck you!" she screamed again, and Shikamaru could see her head tilting slightly, as if she was watching him under the protection of her long, maroon hair. "You know fucking well what you did!" Her voice was trembling dangerously, and Shikamaru could almost hear the distress and unrestrained emotions in her tone. "You...you...." he could hear her forcing out the words, before her voice faltered and went quiet again, her frame quivering noticeably.

Shikamaru watched her with concern, and as his ears picked up the soft sounds now coming from her, he realised that the redhead was in fact sobbing. Her face was pressed against her knees, hiding it from view, but he could see her body trembling and hear the soft sound of her choked sobs. He had absolutely no idea how to deal with this situation he now found himself in; the normally tough and confident Tayuya was sitting on the floor and crying, because of something he had done to her, and he had no idea what it was.

He took a step towards her, carefully. When she didn't react, he slowly approached her, the whole time watching her warily, on the lookout for signs of her not wanting him closer. She did not say anything, but Shikamaru could see her body tensing up, her arms clenching the knees tighter. When he reached the point where she was sitting, he sat down on the floor, leaning against the wall next to her. "I what, Tayuya?" he asked softly, hoping to draw a clue from the emotionally distressed girl.

They sat in quietness for several long seconds, the silence only broken by Tayuya's quiet weeping. Shikamaru tried thinking back to what had happened just minutes before, attempting to figure out what he had done. They had simply been sitting next to each other, and suddenly their lips were pressed together in a kiss. And then, as suddenly as it had begun, their kiss had ended, and Tayuya had turned back to her violent self. But for what reason had she suddenly punched him in the face?

"You...you touched me..." Tayuya muttered tear-choked, her voice low and trembling. She did not lift her head, but her shoulders were slumped, resigned. Shikamaru stared at her, his mouth slightly agape. He could see it so clearly now. His mind wandered back to the moment they had kissed, and he could almost feel his own hand sliding down Tayuya's slender body, down towards her firm behind. How could he have been so stupid? How could he not have seen the obvious?

By letting his momentary, uninhibited feelings take over he had most likely reminded Tayuya of her traumatizing experiences in the prison. She had told him that she had been raped in the prison by the ANBU, and Shikamaru had no doubt about the effect it must have had on her. He didn't know anything much about her past, but he doubted that even someone like Tayuya could take something like that in her stride.

"I'm sorry, Tayuya... The ANBU..." Shikamaru begun, but Tayuya's laugh interrupted him. Whatever reaction he had expected from the miserable flame-haired girl, laughing was not high on his list of probably responses. But there was no humour in her tone; Tayuya's chuckle was cold and bitter, and she lifted her head a bit, though Shikamaru could still not see her face. Her crimson hair hung like a curtain in front of her, obscuring his view. But if he had to guess, he would have said that the ex-Sound girl was smiling resentfully.

"You really are a stupid shit. Do you really think those fuckers were the first?" Tayuya was trembling again, her face lowered back down to her knees. Shikamaru sat next to her, watching her with a mixture of concern and pity. Her words gave him a bad feeling in his gut. He had the distinct impression that he had only just touched upon the tip of the ice berg that was Tayuya's horrifying past. "What do you mean?"

"What do you think, fucker?" Tayuya snapped irritably, her voice obviously close to breaking. Shikamaru could almost hear the strain with which she spoke each and every word. "My whole fucking life has been little more than a fucking continuous cycle of rape, rape and more fucking rape." The silence descended heavily over the two teens as Tayuya's angry outburst ended as suddenly as it had begun, the tense hush only broken by the girl's occasional snivel.

Shikamaru didn't know what to say. He had expected her past to be less than flowery, but what she was saying was a good bit worse. He simply had no idea what to say, so instead he lifted his arm and placed it around the girl's shoulders in a comforting gesture. Tayuya didn't push him away; in fact, she didn't even stiffen like she usually did when he was close to her. She just sat there quietly, sobbing silently to herself.

"I... Tayuya, I had no idea..." Shikamaru begun softly, and finally got a reaction from the redhead. Tayuya lifted her head suddenly and looked into his eyes. Shikamaru looked back at her, the rest of his words dying on his lips. The girl sitting in front of him was so unlike the normally fierce Tayuya. Tears were pouring in a steady stream down her flushed cheeks, and her brown eyes were sore and red from having cried for so long. Tayuya's eyes were filled with anger, but also a deep despair, or perhaps helplessness. Her lower lip twitched angrily, before she cried at him again.

"Of course you had no fucking idea! You couldn't possibly have any idea how I feel, and I don't need your fucking worthless pity!" Tayuya screamed, before she broke down into another fit of choked sobs, her brown eyes squeezed shut, pushing more heavy tears down her cheeks.

Shikamaru didn't answer, momentarily at a loss for words. Instead, he pulled the girl gently closer to himself, hoping to comfort a bit by just sitting next to her like he was at the moment. For several long moments they simply sat next to each other, neither of them saying a word. It was Shikamaru who first broke the awkward silence, a minute later.

"Let's go inside, Tayuya." He offered softly, as he slowly stood up, gently pulling the red-haired girl to her feet with him. She didn't resist or try to stand on her own, only hung limply to him as he propped her up. Shikamaru could see tears still hanging on her chin, falling down to the stone floor below. Supporting the crying girl with one arm, Shikamaru quickly unlocked the wooden door to his apartment with the other hand, and led her inside.

- - -

Tayuya slumped heavily down on the sofa, her mind barely registering that her host sat down next to her. Her mind was in complete turmoil, to the point where she could only just make sense of her surroundings. The mental wall which she had erected, to lock away all the emotions and memories within her mind, had been shattered, bringing all the horrible experiences back to her.

How long had she kept it all suppressed? How long had it been since the last time she had gone through each and every memory, forced them behind her old mental barricade one at a time, and locked it all safely away? And now the very same barricade was broken and shattered, once again flooding Tayuya's mind with memories from the past. She could see them all so clearly in her mind, each incident bright and crisp before her eyes, as if it had been the very day before. All those images, all those incidents, all the pain... it was so overwhelming.

"Are you okay?" A gentle touch to Tayuya's shoulder brought her back, snapping her mind out of the cycle of sickening memories rushing through her. She blinked her eyes a few times in surprise, looking at the source of the physical contact. The young Chuunin was looking at her, his eyes concerned. Tayuya stared at him, her mouth slightly agape, confusion momentarily preventing her from reacting. Only now did she notice the blood under his nose. She slowly became aware of her surroundings, and then of the fact that tears were still running down her cheeks. It dawned on her that this guy was seeing her in such a weak situation, and she desperately wanted to act tough. But she couldn't. The damage was already done. Tayuya laid weakly back against the back of the sofa, staring straight at the wall with a defeated look in her eyes.

- - -

The girl didn't answer him. She just sat limp on the sofa, staring straight ahead, the wet streaks under her eyes glinting slightly in the backlight from the window behind the sofa. Shikamaru watched her, worrying, sitting next to her on the dark brown leather couch. Somehow, the situation reminded him a lot of what has happened a week before, when he had coerced her into talking by offering her a game of chess. But this time he doubted that even the power of board games would be enough.

"Tayuya? How do you feel?" Shikamaru asked, the verbal equivalent of a gentle prod, hoping to get a response from the red-haired girl. She didn't move at all, but to his relief she opened her mouth and spoke, although her voice was low and barely audible, as if she was too weak to push the words out.

"How do you think I feel?" she whispered, her words trembling as they passed her lips. "I'm a fucking mess, just because of you." Tayuya turned her face to look at him, her brown eyes filled with pain and sadness. "No one's ever given a shit about me, and then you come along and make me believe you care... but you're just like everyone else, you fucking bastard!" Tayuya's voice had risen steadily as she spoke, and the last words were screamed straight at Shikamaru. The silence that followed was thick, only broken by Tayuya's laboured breath.

Shikamaru felt really bad about himself. He did care about the feisty, foul-mouthed redhead, and he had not intended or wanted to break her trust. Looking at her now, with devastated tears still running down her cheeks from her sore and moist eyes, he felt horrible. By being careless, he had broken the trust they had built up for the last few weeks, and he didn't know how or if he could regain it.

- - -

"Do you have any family?" he suddenly asked her, out of the blue. Tayuya turned her head to look at him, her mind slowly processing his question. She had not expected him to ask that, and frankly she did not want to go back there. But now that her mind was already brought back to those painful memories, she would have to confront them. "What happened to your parents?"

"Parents?" she whispered, looking at the black-haired boy sadly. "You mean two people who love you and treasure you more than anything?" That was the general impression that she had gotten from looking at how happy other people were, but she herself had never experienced it. When the boy nodded slowly, she shook her head with a bitter smile. "Then no, I don't have any parents."

His questioning gaze made her sigh softly, and she continued slowly, her voice a mere whisper. "I don't remember much of the village where I grew up. I only remember our house." She could picture it in her mind; the small, rotten house, poverty evident in every square foot of the three rooms. Tayuya also remembered vividly all the empty bottles that used to clatter around on the cold wooden floor. "My... dad," She hesitated with the word, "used to beat up my mom a lot."

Tayuya's voice filled with distaste, not only towards her dad's violence against her own mother, but also the latter's inability to fight back against the abuse she suffered. "Our house was small, only two bedrooms and a kitchen. Every day, I could hear my mom being beaten up." She could feel her voice trembling, and she did her best to rein in her emotions, but she was fighting a losing battle. More tears were pressing on, moisture building up in her eyes. "Eventually... my mom killed herself..." Tayuya whispered, finally.

The black-haired boy sitting next to her seemed dumbfounded, as he didn't say anything. He was just staring at her, his eyes wide. In a normal situation, Tayuya might have felt some satisfaction in knowing that she had just changed his perception of the world. But this was not a normal situation, and to Tayuya, the words she was saying were the simple truth about what she had lived with all her life. She wanted him to know it, she realised. She wanted him to listen to her, to understand her position, her past, and the events that had made her who she was today.

"After...my mom died," Tayuya begun again, suddenly very slow and hesitant. Her mother was perhaps the only person she missed. At least Tayuya wished her mother had not died. Her death had only caused Tayuya more suffering. "My...my dad... he u-used me...and then..." she whispered, her voice breaking as she spoke. She could no longer keep her tears at bay, and once again she could feel the warm streams running down her moist cheeks.

Shikamaru could hardly believe what he was hearing. He was sitting next to Tayuya, staring at her with disbelieving eyes. He had not even considered the possibility that the red-haired girl could have gone through something so horrible. But the picture her words were painting told the disgusting truth of how low people could actually sink, and Tayuya herself had been down in the cesspit of humanity and felt it on her body.

Shikamaru could not even imagine how she must feel. He had always had a good relationship with his own parents. His father was a good mentor, always giving him valuable advice whenever he needed it, and he was there for Shikamaru every time he needed a nudge to get back on the right track. Similarly, his mother, although a bossy and sometimes quite scary woman, had always backed his choice to be a shinobi, and Shikamaru knew that if he needed anything from his parents, they would be there to help him.

But Tayuya had not experienced a caring and loving family like he was so fortunate to have. Not only that, her father had done things to her that no one, least of all a parent, should have done. Gently, Shikamaru placed his arm around the crying Tayuya's shoulder again and pulled her gently closer. The redhead submitted to his gentle embrace, leaning her tear-stained cheek against his chest, her body half-way turned towards him. The moistness of her cheek felt warm against his skin through the thin fabric of his shirt. Shikamaru looked down at her. She looked so small, so vulnerable, leaning against him and sobbing quietly against his chest.

"And then..?" Shikamaru whispered, inquiring of the rest of what Tayuya had been about to say. She looked up at him, her cheek still leaned against his breast. Her face was so close, he could feel her warm breath on the base of his neck, and look right into her moist, brown eyes. She looked at him for a few seconds, her face unreadable. She then lowered her gaze again, lying against him but not looking at him. "I...killed him..."

- - -

His chest felt so warm. Strangely, Tayuya felt somewhat safe just sitting there, her cheek pressed against him and his arm wrapped tightly around her shoulder. She could hear his heart beating somewhere near her ear, and the steady movement of his chest every time he breathed in and out was somehow very soothing. It was completely different from anything she had ever felt before. For once in her life, Tayuya was not anxious, scared or upset. She was calm, calm like she had never been before. It felt good, being held close to him like this.

How different he was from everyone else, Tayuya wondered to herself as she closed her eyes. She pressed her cheek against his chest, enjoying the feeling of his firm breast moving gently up and down. Her tears had stalled for the moment, but only because she seemed to have run out of tears. Thinking back to the night she had killed someone for the first time and thus pointed out the direction of her life, she wanted to cry more. She closed her eyes, trying to keep herself from crying again.

It was pictured so clearly in her mind. She was standing over the sleeping form of her father, passed out on the sofa. He was snoring loudly, and his rank, alcohol-tainted breath struck her hard in the face, making her grimace. He had violated her again today. Tayuya pushed the short red hair from her brown eyes, freeing the strands of hair from the wet patches on her cheeks. It would be the last time. She had had enough of it. Carefully she stepped closer to him, avoiding stepping on any of the numerous empty bottles on the uneven wooden floor. Tayuya's young, trembling hands clutched the wooden shaft of a long kitchen knife, its saw-like blade glinting menacingly in the darkness.

Slowly she raised her arms, brandishing the sharp knife above her head. She wanted to end it now. She wanted an end to all the abuse, but she was scared. Scared of what was out there in the world. How would she survive? Warm droplets ran down the young Tayuya's cheek as she squeezed her quivering fingers harder around the shaft of the knife.

_Do it, do it, do it!_ A thin voice chanted in Tayuya's mind, urging her to bring the knife down and end the life of the person who had abused both her and her mother. Her hands shook as she forced every little bit of willpower into what she was about to do. Squeezing her eyes shut and crying out in fury, Tayuya drove the knife down, deep into the centre of her sleeping father's chest. His eyes shot open as the long steel blade impaled his lung and his body twisted in the throes of death. For a few, long seconds, he looked at Tayuya as he died, his expression similar to that of a fish on land. Tayuya stared at him, unable to turn her eyes away. She just stood there, watching him die by her own hand. Then, his life ebbed away, and Tayuya had killed a person for the first time in her life. It would be far from the last time.

Opening her eyes, Tayuya once again found herself back in the young boy's apartment, her cheek lying against his chest. The mental picture of her father's dying face still remained with her to this very day, and she doubted that she would ever forget it. Even if he had abused her, killing him had been one of the most difficult things she had done in her life. She was only six years old at the time, and it had pointed out the direction her life was going to take. Her life had been a long, painful journey, at least up until now. She began crying softly again, the mix of emotions playing within her too much for her to hold back.

Suddenly Tayuya felt something touch her cheek. She startled a bit, realising that it was the raven-haired boy's hand. His hand cupped her lower cheek, his thumb slowly rubbing back and forth over her flushed skin, wiping away her tears and replacing them with a bit of blood from his nose. She looked up at him with a surprised expression, not bothering to hide the blush that spread slowly over her cheeks, the dark red colour of her blush almost matching the blood.

Why was he being so nice to her, and why did he care for her so much? Why did it make her feel so happy to finally be cared for by somebody? Actually, why wouldn't it make her happy? Tayuya had hardly ever been cared for before, and she now really believed that this guy really did care for her. He had not hurt her even once during her two week stay at his apartment. His heart was beating steadily against her cheek, the drumming sound so comforting to her. She could feel more tears welling up again in her brown eyes. Lifting her own trembling hand, Tayuya brought it around the back of the young boy's head and pulled him down, pressing his lips against hers for the second time that day.

Shikamaru was caught somewhat off guard as the crying redhead suddenly initiated another deep kiss, and he found his lips abruptly pressed against Tayuya's soft, velvety ones. She was fiercer than before. Her arms wrapped swiftly around Shikamaru's neck as she sat up, and she pushed him back as she seemingly tried to crush their lips together. It was almost like she was trying to eat his mouth. A few seconds later, Shikamaru found himself on his back on the brown leather couch, Tayuya lying on top of him and kissing him deeply with a passion that was completely unexpected from the tomboyish girl.

Tayuya was blushing heavily, but she was past caring at this point. Somehow, the only thing she felt like doing right now was to kiss him, simply because it felt so nice. It felt pleasant, it made her feel cared for and loved, something which was a luxury to someone like her. She pressed her lips against his even deeper, wanting to taste more of him. His lips had a slight hint of blood in the taste, but at the moment it hardly mattered to her. She simply wanted to feel more of him. And feel more she did, though not in the way she had expected.

Tayuya's passion was starting to have an effect on Shikamaru. Her warm, firm body was on top of his, and her petite breasts were pressing themselves against his chest. Despite doing his best to focus his mind elsewhere, Shikamaru was beginning to get aroused from the close contact with the eager redhead. He could feel the bulge in his jeans begin to grow, and he hoped fervently that Tayuya would not notice. He did not want to cause her more discomfort.

Unfortunately, although the ex-Sound girl was very much caught up in the passion of their kissing, she could not help but notice the pressure that was slowly growing against her groin region. Parting the kiss softly, her lips lingering hesitantly on his for a moment, she pulled away and sat up on top of him, looking at him quizzically. Her cheeks were burning, embarrassed of what she had just done but still enjoying it. But she could give a fair guess of what the pressure against her nether regions meant, and the fact made her suddenly uncertain.

Shikamaru could see plainly the puzzlement and hesitation in Tayuya's eyes, and he realised that she was just as uncertain about where they were going as he was. Slowly, he lifted one of his hands to her dark red cheek and cupped it in his palm. Their eyes stared into each other as the moments passed, Tayuya still sitting on Shikamaru's crotch, her weight lightly grinding on his bulge, unbeknown to her stimulating him further. The girl opened her mouth to say something, but Shikamaru moved his thumb from her cheek to her lips, silencing her momentarily. He stared into her beautiful brown eyes, his face sincere but caring.

"Tayuya, I care about you, and I don't want you to get hurt," he whispered, his other hand gently caressing her side as he spoke. He was getting a bit of blood on her shirt, but it wasn't so bad that he couldn't wash it later. "Do you trust me?" he asked softly, tilting his head slightly to the side as he looked at the red-haired girl sitting on top of him.

Did she? Did she trust him? Tayuya didn't know. He hadn't treated her badly so far, but now his...thing was pressing against her, and she didn't know where things would go from here. However, it did seem like he was letting it up for her to decide what to do. Tayuya realised that she was not as scared or worried anymore as she had been. Maybe she did trust him a little bit after all.

Tayuya slowly leaned back down again, her face inches from his. Their eyes were on the same level, and she could stare right into his brown eyes. There was something she didn't quite get in the gaze he gave her, but she was content with letting it pass for now. Her lips were almost touching his now, and she wanted to connect them again, to taste his lips again. "Yeah, I do, shithead." She whispered, before she pushed their lips together again, to continue what they had been doing before.

**To be Continued...**

Phew, that's done. This was a difficult chapter to write, mostly because there's a lot of background and emotional stuff going on, and I needed to make sure everything was perfect. Next up we're going to get some more fluffy stuff, as some of you requested ;-)

Until next time, take care

Haraio


	17. Chapter 17: Finally Me

Hi everyone :D

Yes, I know I'm late. I'm horribly, horribly late. Two months in fact, almost to the day. I'm a master of rapid updates, am I not? I can only apologize, and try to explain.

First reason for me being late, is the fact that I had my girlfriend Natasja visiting my all the way from Singapore, for almost two weeks. I live in Norway, and we haven't met in person in the last two years, so I hope you'll excuse me for not writing anything much during those two weeks ;-)

Apart from that very pleasant visit, I've spent a large part of the past month getting ready for another year of University. In short, I've signed up for classes, bought school books, realised I signed up for the wrong classes, reassigned for the correct classes, sold off the books I bought and acquired the correct books. In that order. In short, it's been a rather stressful month, but I've managed somehow.

The third and final reason for my rather lengthy delay, is that I've focussed my writing efforts other places from time to time. Yes, I'm working on not one new fanfic, but two! One is a semi-sequel to my Hellsing one-shot, another is a brand new, 7-10 chapter long high school fanfic, starring our favourite redhead and her pineapple-haired punching ball :-P I will try to have at least one of them up before the next update of New Life of the Sound Demon.

Finally, a small note on title of this chapter: I've tried to avoid this for as long as possible, but the title is in fact a theme song for this chapter, by the Italian band Raintime. Though the music might not be entirely fitting for this kind of chapter, the lyrics describe pretty well what Tayuya is going through right now :-P

Disclaimer: Nope, not owner of any major Anime franchise yet.

**Chapter 17: Finally Me**

Bathed in the orange sunlight from the setting sun outside the window, the two young teens found themselves locked in a tight embrace on Shikamaru's brown sofa. Tayuya was straddled across the young boy's lap, her arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer. Shikamaru's hands caressed the ex-Sound girl's firm sides gently, as he responded willingly to her eager kisses. Their bodies were so close together, they could feel each other's warmth.

Tayuya made a soft moaning sound as she pressed her lips fiercely against his, her hands behind his head pulling him as close as possible. His chest was moving up and down underneath her, and she could almost feel his heart beating against hers. It was a strange feeling, to be so close to someone, and not hating it. As long as she could remember, Tayuya had hated physical contact and closeness. But this time it was different. She actually enjoyed it, being this close to this...this pineapple-head.

As they kissed, Shikamaru opened his eyes, gazing at the girl's face so close to his own. Her pale skin, coloured by a light red hue, matching her crimson hair, was strangely mesmerizing. Her eyes were closed, completely immersed in the deep kiss they were sharing, and Shikamaru couldn't help but notice how cute she looked. She was so much different from her usual, aggressive self.

A small pinprick in her senses alerted Tayuya to the fact that she was being looked at, and as she opened her eyes, she looked straight into the young Chuunin's eyes. With a heavy blush spreading rapidly over her cheeks, Tayuya gently broke the kiss and sat up. She wiggled herself on top of him, feeling her butt grinding gently against his crotch area, her mind still somewhat hesitant. Looking down at the boy lying underneath her, her cheeks heated with embarrassment at the intimate situation she found herself in.

Sitting like this on top of him, Tayuya could distinctly feel the hard bulge in the boy's pants pressing in the crack of her ass. It was a strange feeling; she thought she could almost feel it throbbing through the three-four layers of clothes between them. Tayuya leaned a bit further backwards, trapping the bulge halfway underneath the shape of her behind. She could hear a small intake of breath coming from the boy under her.

Shikamaru stared up at the young girl, his eyes following her gaze as she turned her head to look down her own back, towards her firm ass met his crotch. As much as he tried to control himself, he couldn't prevent the swelling in his pants, especially now that Tayuya was sitting almost on top of it. Even Shikamaru's self-control had its limits.

Still letting his fingers gently caress Tayuya's sides, he slowly slid first one hand, then the other under her black, loose shirt. He could feel her stiffen as his fingers touched her bare skin, but he made no move to move his hands higher up her body. He simply continued moving his hands up and down Tayuya's naked sides, feeling her warm, soft skin running under his fingers.

Tayuya gasped and squirmed slightly as she felt his fingers run up under her garment, the touch of his fingers against her naked skin tickling her. She had never felt like this before. Her skin, no, her whole body, was tingling with excitement, making the boy's every touch an unforgettable, thrilling sensation.

What was happening? Tayuya could hardly believe what was going on, and she had no idea how to react in this rapidly escalating situation. She was simply unable to respond to the confusing cocktail of emotions flowing within her. A small part of her brain was screaming at her to get away, afraid she would get hurt again, but the majority of her consciousness was giving in, wanting to delve deeper into the exciting new intimacy.

Reassuring her in the midst of her emotional confusion was the black-haired boy below her. She met his eyes, and he could see the patience and care residing in them. He didn't want to pressure her into anything, she realised, her brown eyes widening slightly at the thought. His eyes seemed to tell her to take the time she needed to get accustomed to the strange situation. Again, his caring for her was astounding the ex-Sound girl quite a bit.

Slowly, hesitantly, Tayuya lifted the boy's shirt up to his lower chest, and gently placed her hands on his stomach. Her eyes met his, carefully watching his expression as she slowly began moving her palms over his skin. He didn't exactly have a six pack, but she could distinctly feel muscles under the skin of his stomach. She remembered the time she had seen him in the bathroom, and wondered to herself how such a seemingly lazy guy could be so fit.

He was warm, she realised now as she touched his skin. His stomach was rising and lowering slowly and steadily beneath her hands, and she enjoyed the thrilling feeling of her own skin being in contact with his. It was special, intimate, even though it was a little bit frightening. Slowly, she dragged her finger nails across Shikamaru's stomach, and was awarded with a sharp breath from the boy. She smiled slightly, pleased with the reaction she was getting.

In response to her gentle scratching on his skin, Shikamaru suddenly lifted Tayuya's shirt further up. She hesitated for only a few moments before she raised her arms and allowed the boy to pull her shirt off her body. Only a moment later, Tayuya's black shirt had ended up on the floor in front of the couch. Her white bra was set free from within the outer garment, allowing the boy to see the way it gently cupped her petite breasts. She could feel a warm blush spreading rapidly across her already-flushed cheeks, making them burn as the boy looked at her.

Not wanting to be any worse than the boy, Tayuya gripped his olive-green shirt tightly with her hands. Shikamaru willing lifted his arms, and she pulled his shirt clumsily off, perhaps a bit more roughly than she needed to. She didn't care however; her body compelled her into doing it, eager to touch his skin some more. As she tossed the garment aside, she stared at him, drinking in the sight before her. No sooner had she discarded his shirt, before Tayuya's fingers were all over his smooth chest, feeling how firm his shape was beneath her digits.

As they both physically investigated the other's stomach with their fingers, neither of them had any real idea where they were supposed to go from here. For both teens, this was a very strange and unusual situation. They hesitated, sharing an uncertain look into each other's eyes.

With rather limited knowledge on how to proceed at this point, Shikamaru was mostly just acting on instinct. He did of course remember a few things that Kiba had told him, and he aimed to test that knowledge out. Kiba seemed to have endless knowledge on the field, and Shikamaru even paid a bit of attention when the young Inuzuka shared from the hidden lore of females, as long as the information didn't include how to get it on with the four-legged members of the clan.

One of the things that Kiba had told him, was that a girl's nipples were very sensitive to touch, and that seemed as a good a place as any to begin. Slowly, Shikamaru's hands edged their way up Tayuya's bare stomach, her skin clearly trembling beneath his fingers, as if he was tickling her. Reaching her chest, he gently cupped the girl's petite breasts through, and a small gasp left her lips. Looking up into her eyes, he could see the dark blush which had spread over her cheeks, and against his palm he could feel how fast her heart was beating.

Located right between her elfin attributes, was the lock to Tayuya's bra. Shikamaru could see the girl watching him anxiously; she held her breath as he easily unclipped the two small hooks that held her bra together. Kiba had told him that it was a bit difficult the first time, but Shikamaru had no problems opening the white garment; the two metal hooks opened easily as he squeezed them together, and the bra fell down.

The realisation that her breasts were now exposed to the world made Tayuya's already-hot cheeks glow even hotter, and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to hide her embarrassment as the younger boy gazed at her naked body. Her breasts were very small, in her own opinion; her bra read 36A, and she knew that she could not compete with for example the blonde Sand slut in that field. She caught herself wondering what he thought of her small attributes. Surely he must've been disappointed.

Tayuya received her answer as Shikamaru suddenly reached up and cupped her breasts in his hands, and the redhead gasped as she felt the warm skin of his palms brush against her small, pink nipples. The effect was immediate; her nipples stood out straight and she trembled slightly at the small, niggling feeling that spread through her chest from his touch. She couldn't describe the sensation she was currently experiencing. It was like a slow, pleasant warmth which spread steadily throughout her whole being, filling her with a strangely soothing calm.

Up to this point, neither of the teens had said a word since the first kiss. The silence that hung about them was only broken by the red-haired girl's breathing. She was reluctant to break the tender quiet that prevailed, but she wanted him to touch her more, and she doubted he would take the hint unless she specifically told him her wants and needs.

"Hey..." she whispered hesitantly, pausing momentarily as she realised how husky and vulnerable her own voice sounded. It was so unlike her; a soft, gentle whisper coming from her lips, her cheeks burning hotly with embarrassment. Shikamaru looked up at her, eyebrows raised, awaiting the rest of her request. Tayuya blushed darker and swallowed, her mouth suddenly feeling strangely dry. "My nipples...touch me again..." she said softly, turning her eyes away in awkwardness as the boy's eyes widened slightly in understanding. The way his palms caressed her nipples... it felt strange, but kind of pleasant at the same time. It sent small tickles through her body, making her heart skip a beat every time he touched her sensitive nubs

Shikamaru looked up at the redhead as she turned her head away to stare towards the window behind the sofa, obviously embarrassed at her own request. So Kiba had been right after all; her nipples were sensitive and now she wanted him to touch them more. Shikamaru was not one to object to her request. For some reason, he just wanted to play more with the small, pink protrusions. Lifting his palms slightly from Tayuya's breasts, he seized her pink nipples between his thumbs and index fingers, squeezing them gently. The small nubs of flesh were soft yet firm between his fingers, and he pinched them a bit harder. Looking up, he saw Tayuya close her brown eyes and lean her head back a bit, her lips slightly parted. He could feel her chest rising and falling softly beneath his hands and her fingers clawed gently at the skin of his chest.

Acting on a sudden impulse, Shikamaru let go of Tayuya's right nipple with his fingers and leant up, taking it between his lips. It didn't taste like anything specific, except for the scent of Tayuya's body, but it still felt strangely satisfying to have her nipple between his lips. Shikamaru smiled slightly, and sucked harder on it.

The effect it had on the ex-Sound girl was immediate. Tayuya's brown eyes shot open and she squirmed as she felt the boy's lips wrapped around her sensitive, pink nipple. A low, trembling moan spilled from her lips as she failed to hold it back. Gripping his shoulder hard with her hand, she leant her head back and closed her eyes. Her nipple felt so warm, so pleasant. Every time he sucked and pulled on it with his lips, the sensation increased to new heights, making her moan softly in delight.

"Aahhh, please..."

Shikamaru smiled slightly to himself, enjoying the reaction he was getting from the tomboyish redhead. She seemed to be enjoying herself, and she was completely unlike her normal, troublesome self. Her body was so soft and warm against his, and Shikamaru already had problems controlling himself. His cock was straining against his pants, pressing almost painfully against Tayuya's firm butt.

Suddenly, he felt something gripping the bulge in his crotch, squeezing it gently. It took a moment before he realised that it was the girl who had done it behind her back. He withdrew his lips from her now-moist nipple and looked up to see her looking back at him, with a somewhat curious expression on her blushing face.

"Does this...feel... good?" she asked softly, her voice just a whisper, as she squeezed him again through his pants. Shikamaru nodded his head slowly, and she repeated the squeeze. Her eyes looked uncertain, but he could hardly blame her. According to what she had told him about her past, the thing she was trying to be gentle towards right now was something which had caused her immeasurable pain in the past. No matter how much she tried to pretend it didn't affect her, Shikamaru felt sorry for her. He couldn't even imagine how hard this had to be for her.

"Yeah, it does feel nice..." he admitted to her. Tayuya nodded slowly. She was actually touching him through his pants. Tayuya could hardly believe what she was doing. Through the fabric of his jeans, she could feel how his member throbbed at her touch. She swallowed slowly. It felt so wrong, but also so right at the same time.

Throughout her life, she had always connected a male's crotch with pain and humiliation on her end, and she didn't really know why she trusted this guy to not repeat her agonising past. Maybe it was because he had promised he would not hurt her, maybe it was because he had treated her better than anyone had ever done in her life. She sincerely believed that he would do her no harm, and it was a comforting thought, one that she was not really used to.

Tayuya only realised that she had spaced out while rubbing Shikamaru's crotch, when she felt his hands suddenly grab her ass cheeks. His fingers gripped into the flesh of her butt, and the redhead gave an uncharacteristically girly squeal as she was suddenly lifted up. As the boy stood up from the sofa, she clung to his shoulders, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, not letting go. It felt nice being held like this. She felt strangely safe, even though she had never before felt the need to be close to someone else for comfort. His breath was on her ear, warm and comforting. His gait rocked her softly as he began walking. It took Tayuya a moment to realise where he was heading.

They were going for the bedroom. She clung a little harder to his shoulders, as she watched the relatively safe couch getting further and further away. There was no way back now. With every step closer to the bedroom, Tayuya was one step closer to confronting her own painful trauma. She wasn't exactly sure if she was ready to face it.

- - - - -

Tayuya shifted herself slightly as the raven-haired boy lowered her slowly and gently down on the bed. The bed sheets were as warm and soft underneath her as she remembered from the time she had fallen asleep there. The room was a bit cleaner now than the other day; she had threatened with kicking his ass if he didn't get his shit together. He had grudgingly complied, obviously displeased but wary of more violence.

Now he was sitting on his knees over her, seemingly looming all the way to the ceiling from her position on the bed. Unwillingly, she placed her hands over her chest, trying to cover her breasts. Of course, there was little point in doing it now, seeing as he had already had plenty of time to look at them. She simply felt so vulnerable, lying there on the bed in front of his eyes, and it was a feeling she didn't really like.

Shikamaru was on his knees on the bed between the redhead's legs, sitting straight up and looking down at the half-naked girl lying in front of him. His hormones told him to go for it, but his mind was holding back. He did not want to scare her or hurt her by letting his instincts take over. She was looking at him with worried, brown eyes over dark red cheeks, and he realised how difficult this had to be for her. Her past had most likely been incredibly traumatizing to her, and the last thing he wanted was to remind her of that painful past.

He remembered what Kiba had told him was crucial for making a woman feel comfortable. He had to go slow, take his time with every inch of her body, and make her feel safe and ready. Shikamaru reined in the instincts that told him to pounce on the defenceless girl immediately, and instead leaned forward slowly, his fingers seeking out her naked skin.

Tayuya trembled and blushed a shade darker as he resumed touching her naked body, his hands slowly, caringly caressing her sides. She could feel goose bumps appear on every inch of her skin that his hands came in contact with. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to give in to the feelings that began flowing through her. How did he make her feel like this, just by touching her? Her body was responding so willingly to him, betraying her. Unconsciously, she raised her back, pushing herself against his gentle hands.

Her chestnut eyes opened in a brief moment of panic, however, when she felt his fingers working on the buttons of her crotch. Her hands left her breasts and grabbed onto his wrist, halting him. For a moment neither of them moved. Tayuya stared up into his eyes, for once in her life really, really scared. He stared back at her, his gentle eyes comforting and understanding. She was terrified of where they were going, but his encouraging, caring smile calmed her down somewhat. She lowered her hands slowly to her sides, still blushing heavily, and let him continue what he was doing.

Slowly, he undid the first button on Tayuya's dark grey cargo pants, followed by the second, and then the third. Lifting her legs up, he slid the pants down her legs, revealing the young girl's slender thighs. He tossed the garment on the wooden floor, quickly followed by her black socks. Tayuya lay on the bed, her quivering body almost completely naked except for her white underwear, which matching white bra had been discarded on the living room floor only a few minutes earlier.

Gently, Shikamaru slid his fingers under the string of Tayuya's serene, white panties, and slowly pulled them down the girl's legs. Tayuya watched him carefully, her cheeks a constant dark red for the past minutes. He could tell she was nervous, from the way she was watching every little move he made. Having pulled her underwear all the way down her legs, he slipped them off her ankles and dropped them to the floor, before looking at the naked girl lying in front of him.

She was simply beautiful, something he never would have believed he would think about the tomboyish redhead. But lying before him now, he could see the hints of an adult female's beauty in the young girl's features. Crimson hair lay draped around her face like curtains, framing a rather cute face, her cheeks dark and her brown eyes watching him intently. Her body had obviously recovered quite a bit after her stay in the Konoha prison; marks and scars from the experience were still visible on her skin, but they were weak and hardly visible. The only obvious scarring on her body was a large, dark spot on her shoulder, where a bolt had punched straight her body.

That particular scar would never heal completely, according to the Hokage. The wound had healed, but the dark scarring would always be there to remind her how close she had been to dying that fateful day. Tayuya swallowed, as she looked up at the younger boy. She felt so embarrassed, so shameful, feeling his eyes wandering all over her scarred body. There was no way he could find her abused body appealing, was it? What was he going to do next? She had no idea, but her unvoiced question was answered soon enough.

Shikamaru leaned down slowly, carefully planting a soft kiss on the skin between Tayuya's petite attributes, his hands once again returning to caressing her slim sides. She responded immediately, gasping and tensing as she felt his lips on her skin. He looked up at her, meeting the blushing girl's nervous eyes as he slowly worked his way down her stomach, halting every few centimetres to place a light kiss on her pale skin. By the time he reached her belly button, she was practically squirming underneath his lips.

Cautiously he moved even further down, until his face was right above the spot where Tayuya's slender thighs met. He stared down at the sight in front of him; a small slit, with a triangular patch of crimson pubes right above it, matching the colour of the girl's hair. It was the first time he had seen a girl's private parts, and he took a moment to just stare at it, taking in the sight before him. A prickling feeling on his forehead told him that the girl was still eyeing him warily, as he slowly lowered his head down until his eyes were on the same level as her opening.

Tayuya tensed up involuntarily as his warm breath washed against her sensitive lower lips. Suddenly, she felt his fingers touching her, and she barely suppressed a surprised squeal from leaving her lips, her crotch arching slightly up against his fingers. It only took her a moment to comprehend what the boy was actually doing. She could feel his fingers on her lips. _Oh God, he's spreading me open!_

Using his index fingers, Shikamaru gently pried the girl's fleshy lips open. He could tell that her labia was very tight, as he couldn't manage to spread it very far out to the sides. However, as he pushed her folds aside, he was greeted with a view into the girl's most sacred depths. Even in the half-gloom of the room, he could see the bright pink cover of her flesh, and the way it seemed to pulse and clench every time his breath hit it. Curious of how it would react to more stimuli, he leaned closer, giving her folds a slow, tantalising lick with his tongue.

His tongue slowly dragging over her sensitive folds startled Tayuya slightly, and she gripped the bed sheet with her fingers, using her hold on the material to steady herself. His rough lick caressed her still-sore flesh, and it felt a bit uncomfortable. She almost wanted to tell him to stop what he was doing immediately, but something inside her compelled her into letting him go on.

After placing a few slow licks on the pink flesh, Shikamaru withdrew his tongue again, tasting the strange liquid that now coated the tip of his tongue. It tasted strange, sort of sweet, but not in the usual way he would describe a sweet taste. He couldn't fully pinpoint what Tayuya's sacred cavity tasted like, but he knew for sure that he didn't mind the strange flavour. The liquid also felt very warm, like Tayuya's body itself, something he could also feel on the tips of the fingers he used to spread her lips.

But despite the fact that he enjoyed the taste, he could tell that the girl was not very comfortable. Her body felt tense and her eyes stared at him, as if asking him when he would be done. It didn't take him long to figure out why. Now that he got a closer look at her spread folds, he noticed that there were patches that seemed to be darker in colour, looking almost purple in colour. They looked almost like... No, they _were_ bruises! But if these bruises were still visible, such a long time after Tayuya had been in prison... Shikamaru could not even begin to imagine how bruised she must have been the day he had found her. How she had been able to run or even walk up to now was beyond him.

It seemed like he had been careless with his tongue, and had in fact licked one of the bruises on the girl's pink flesh, which could explain her discomfort. He would have to do better and hopefully make her feel good in return. Once again, Shikamaru extended his tongue to Tayuya's opening, his tip aiming for a small, pink nub slightly above the centre of the girl's pussy.

The first thought that entered Tayuya's mind was _Oh fuck, he's licking me again_. However, her exasperation was quickly silenced as she felt his tongue a particular place where she was not so bruised. Tayuya gasped audibly, a surprisingly strong sensation rearing up within her, taking her off guard. It was like being tickled, except without the unpleasantness of being tickled for real. It felt very pleasant, like incredible warmth spreading through her nether regions. Tayuya tossed her head back, unable to hold back the moan that sprouted from her lips.

She seemed more comfortable now, at least if Shikamaru was to judge by the sounds coming from her. He looked up, his mouth not leaving her wet, welcoming opening. Her head was thrown back, her body slightly arched against his mouth. A mix of laboured breathing and soft moaning sounds was coming from her with every flick of his tongue over the small pink nub. Her naked arms twitched, as she gripped the bed sheets harder.

What the fuck was happening? The warm, tickling sensation she had felt when his tongue touched her the first time didn't seem to diminish at all. Quite the contrary, it only seemed to strengthen with every passing second, and Tayuya could feel her concentration and self-control slipping from between her fingers. How could something in this world possibly feel so good? It rivalled anything the young redhead had ever felt. She no longer put any effort into trying to stem the flow of shameful sounds leaving her, not that she thought she would have been able to even if she wanted.

Pleased with the way she was reacting to his oral work, Shikamaru allowed himself a small smile. Pressing his mouth more forcefully against the redhead's pussy, he thrust his tongue deeper into her moist, warm folds. He could taste the warm liquids originating from her opening on his lips, and the lower half of his face was quickly getting covered in it as he attacked her with more fervour.

_Oh God, oh God, oh God!_ Just when Tayuya had thought the strange sensation she was feeling couldn't get any stronger, she felt the young boy's tongue penetrate through her folds. The twisting, lapping muscle pushed deeper within her, sending the warming feeling inside her to new heights. Tayuya groaned audibly as his lips brushed against the small nub he had previously been licking. The sensation only seemed to intensify, and she began to feel lighter and lighter with every second. It felt like she was about to burst.

She wanted to burst. The feeling was intoxicating, compelling her to press her hips against the swirling, maddening tongue inside her. Her hands released the bed sheet and instead found their grip in the black hair poking up between her thighs. She pulled on it gently, at least gentle by her own standards, pressing the boy's face against her crotch. Tayuya moaned out, feeling his tongue entering her even deeper, wiggling around inside her like a frantic worm in an apple. The incredible sensation just kept rising and rising towards a rapidly approaching peak. She kept going up, up, and... Suddenly Tayuya's world exploded in mind-numbing pleasure which seemed to wash through her whole body. She could feel herself convulsing around his tongue, her body rocking with the sensations pounding through her. It seemed to last forever, until Tayuya slowly descended back into reality, panting hard for her breath.

Shikamaru licked his lips as he sat up on the bed, tasting the sweetly flavoured nectar which had flooded from the redhead's pussy during her orgasm. He was pleased that she had enjoyed his treatment, made obvious by the fact that he had driven her all the way to an orgasm on his first ever attempt. It seemed like it was her first orgasm too, judging by how heavily she was breathing, and the way her eyes were still dazed and unfocussed.

Tayuya was heaving for her breath, her vision somewhat blurred from the sudden and unexpected rush of sensations that had just rocked through her body. _What the hell just happened?_ She had no idea, but the young boy had done something that had made her feel so incredible. She couldn't even describe the amazing pleasure she had just experienced. It was so unlike anything she had felt before. Did this mean that he knew something about her body that no one else knew, since he had the ability to pleasure her to such a degree? Was it because he cared about her? Could that be the reason?

As her mind slowly recovered from the remarkable experience she had just gone through, she suddenly noticed the boy standing by the edge of the bed. And he was naked. Suddenly, Tayuya's mind was clear and focussed, and she caught herself wandering all over his figure with her gaze, drinking in the sight. He was slim and slightly muscular, as expected from a young Shinobi. His skin was somewhat tanned, and remarkably unblemished, free of bruises or any mentionable scars. She hadn't really noticed the fact earlier, despite having touched him only a few minutes ago.

Slowly, hesitantly, her gaze moved further south. As her brown eyes fell upon his crotch, the first thing she noticed was that he was hard. For some reason, Tayuya was not surprised. His cock was standing straight out, pointing almost directly at her. He wasn't exactly small; though he could hardly match the spider-freak Kidoumaru in girth, he was distinctly better endowed than 'little' Sakon. She stared nervously at him as he climbed up on the bed, between her own spread legs.

Now sitting on the bed in front of her, the black-haired boy didn't seem in any hurry to move on. She had almost expecting him to go on to fucking her immediately like people usually did when they had her naked, but he seemed content with just caressing her naked ankles at the moment. His calm eyes caught hers, and Tayuya could feel herself blushing deeper. This was just too embarrassing. Still gently touching her feet with his soft fingers, he spoke, his voice low and calm:

"Is it okay for you to continue?"

Tayuya stared at him, momentarily at a loss for words. Was he really asking her if she was okay with it? In a situation like this, she usually didn't have any options. She really did not know what to answer him. Throughout her past, what they were about to do had always caused her a lot of pain, humiliation and trauma, and she did not know if she could take any more of it. But on the other hand, what he had done before had shown her sensations that were so incredible. Was there any way he could possibly make her feel that way again?

After a few moments of consideration, Tayuya's curiosity eventually got the better of her. Still feeling very nervous, she looked up at the boy sitting between her legs, and slowly nodded her head, giving him the green light to go on. She spread her thighs wider awkwardly, giving him better space to move closer to her. What was she really expecting to happen? Could he possibly do anything different than everyone else in her past had done? Well, if he didn't, she could still beat him up for it. The thought was a small consolidation in her mind, as she watched him inch closer.

Shikamaru scooted slowly closer to the naked redhead in front of him, until his naked thighs brushed against her own. Tayuya lay beneath him, the nervousness in her brown eyes accented by the tint in her cheeks, her head lifted to look at him. Gently, he lifted her thighs on top of his own, the tip of his cock briefly rubbing against the girl's crotch as he pulled her closer. Their eyes met briefly once again, and Tayuya nodded again, more confidently this time.

"Go on," she encouraged, as she laid her head down on the bed, awaiting his next move.

With Tayuya's confirmation allowing him to continue, Shikamaru took hold of his cock with his right hand and placed it against the point where he figured the entrance to the girl's sacred orifice had to be. Then, leaning forward on his knees to apply pressure, he felt his tip slowly slide inside the warm, welcoming opening.

Tayuya closed her eyes, expecting to feel the painful stretching of the boy's cock inside her any second. But the pain didn't come. Instead, there was a pleasantly warm feeling of being filled to the brim. She felt like every muscle inside her crotch was being stretched out by the presence inside her, but it didn't hurt. It was almost like he was having an easier time entering her, since she could not feel any painful friction. As she felt his tip bump against her innermost wall, and a soft squelching sound filled her ears, she suddenly realised why. She was soaking wet!

Shikamaru let out a moan in surprise as he felt Tayuya clamp down around him. It was like a warm, moist velvet hand grabbing onto his cock and squeezing him rhythmically. He had never imagined anything could feel so good, and he actually had to resist every fibre of his body that told him to move faster, to thrust inside the redhead harder. But he knew he couldn't do it yet, for her sake. She had to deal with her own painful past, and the only thing he could do until she was ready was to do it slowly and gently.

Tayuya closed her eyes and moaned loudly as Shikamaru began slowly and steadily moving in and out of her, his length rubbing against her inner walls on the way out, and filling her to the brim on the way in. _Fuck, how can something like this feel so good?_ Tayuya couldn't believe that sex, something that had been so painful for her all these years, actually felt nice. It was because he was the first to care for her, it had to be. It was both a great relief to her traumatized mind, but also a great sadness and pain. She now realised that all the people who had raped her throughout her life, could have given her the same thing, instead of only giving her pain. Tayuya could feel salty water welling up in her eyes. Why had they all hated her so much that they could hurt her like they had done?

But the thought that troubled the young girl's mind the most, was what could have happened if they had shown her this side of this shameful act. What if the guards in the prison had shown her pleasure like this? Would she then have submitted to her will, and become a filthy slut for their use? Would she have broken, if faced with the possibility of sensations like this? Tayuya honestly could not answer that question, and that fact scared her more than anything. She could no longer keep her tears at bay.

Shikamaru watched the young girl carefully as he slowly moved in and out of her hot, slick pussy, all the while suppressing his own instincts. Her eyes were closed, and she was moaning loudly every time he pushed himself inside her, but... Shikamaru slowed down, looking at her flushed cheeks. He could see tears running down her face, sliding down her cheeks in heavy droplets. Was he hurting her? Worried, Shikamaru slowly leaned down on his elbows, his face only inches from hers.

"Are you okay, Tayuya?" he whispered, using his thumb to wipe a large tear from the girl's cheek. In response, the redhead wrapped her arms around his neck and opened her eyes to stare up at him. More tears escaped her eyelids as she opened them to look into his gaze with her brown, moist eyes.

"Come on... don't stop now," she pleaded, her hushed voice sounding desperate and weak, completely unlike the fierce and tomboyish Tayuya he had learned to know for the past few weeks. "Please, Shikamaru..." Shikamaru's eyes widened as she said those two words. To the best of his memory, it was the first time she had ever used his real name while addressing him, and the first time she had begged him for anything. He stared into her imploring chestnut eyes, as he resumed his slow, gentle thrusts into her welcoming pussy.

Now that she was practically clinging to his body with her limbs, he could feel her clenching down on his member even more tightly than before, and Shikamaru could already feel a tightening feeling in the lower part of his stomach, which he guessed meant that he was getting close to coming. He steadily increased the pace of his thrusts a little bit, and was rewarded with progressively louder moans and squeals from the ex-Sound girl clinging to his body.

With a few more thrusts, Shikamaru realised that he was on the brink of no return. He wondered whether he should pull out or not, unsure whether to risk the possible implications of distributing his seed inside the young girl. However, Tayuya made the choice for him. The redhead threw her legs around his behind and pulled the two of them together, bringing the young boy over the edge in the process. Shikamaru moaned loudly as he held Tayuya close, his semen spurting inside her, her own pleasured moans matching his in intensity as another all-consuming wave of pleasure washed over her, drowning out all other thoughts.

- - - - -

The sound of heavy breathing filled the quiet room, as darkness slowly replaced the light gloom, telling them that the sun was going down past the horizon. The two young teens lay side by side on Shikamaru's bed, both naked and sweaty. Neither Shikamaru nor Tayuya had anything particularly pressing they needed to say to the other, both lost in their own thoughts.

Tayuya tilted her head slightly, looking at the boy lying next to her out of the corner of her eye. Her mind was a confusing cocktail of emotions and thoughts now, because of the new world he had shown her. But what was she to him? Was she someone special, someone he truly cared for? She wanted an answer to her niggling doubt, but for the moment she was content with letting it pass.

Tayuya slowly sat up on the bed, stretching her arms into the air. She felt the boy shift next to her, as he turned to look in her direction. Quickly turning over, she crawled on top of his lap, his naked thighs strangely comfortable as she sat down. She looked down at him, watching his naked body in front of her, his expectant eyes looking up at her. He really was a strange individual, unlike anyone else Tayuya had ever met.

His cock lay resting against his stomach, right below her. Tayuya smiled slightly, mostly to herself, as she gripped the young boy's half-limp cock in her hand. It felt warm and slightly sticky, still covered in a mix of their juices. She gave it a few testing pumps, before looking down at her host with expectation in her chestnut-coloured eyes.

"Hey, you can go again, right?"

**To Be Continued...**

There you go, the most delayed chapter so far, but also the longest in this fanfic. I guess that has to count for something, right?

Also, to those of you who are worried: No, the fanfic won't be all fluff and sunshine from now on. There will be more action, blood, and deaths coming up ;)

Until next time :-)

Haraio

10


	18. Chapter 18: The Morning After

Yes, I know. I'm late as hell. Thing is, I've basically put all my fanfics on hiatus for the past month-and-a-half, due to a massive amount of school work being dumped right into my lap. I'm just happy that I managed to finish this chapter before my exam period. I guess you're all tired of my excuses by now, so I'm just going to move on to the story. My hope is that you all haven't abandoned this story by now :)

As always, a big thank you to my girlfriend Natasja for being my faithful proofreader and inspiration :)

Disclaimer: Neither Shikamaru nor Tayuya are mine to own, and never will be.

**Chapter 18: The Morning After**

The soft, peaceful sound of quiet snoring filled the small, dark bedroom, sounding strangely enhanced in Tayuya's ears. The red-haired, ex-Sound kunoichi was wide awake, and had been so for quite some time, as her brown eyes had already had the time to accustom themselves to the near-complete darkness in the room. Only the presence of a window on the wall near the foot of the bed allowed a thin shimmer of light through, lifting the gloom to a level where Tayuya could strain her eyes to see the basic details of her surroundings.

The low, soothing droning sound originated from the area right next to her, from the lips of a certain raven-haired boy. Nara Shikamaru was fast asleep; his right arm underneath Tayuya's red hair acting as a secondary pillow for her, and his left hand was draped over her naked chest. With every breath the Konoha boy took, his lower arm moved ever so slightly, tickling Tayuya's left nipple in a particularly niggling fashion. She simply couldn't focus on sleeping, with that kind of teasing to her sensitive pink nub.

Of course, that wasn't the only thing that kept her awake in the middle of the night. Tayuya had slept for a few hours, she imagined, when she was once again troubled with terrifying dreams. Somehow, they were a little less frightening now than previously, as she hadn't woken up screaming and sweating, but it was still enough to keep her from wanting to go back to sleep any time soon. Besides, her mind was troubled with more than just scary nightmares.

Her thoughts kept wandering back to what they had done last night, which had worn her out so. Despite initial protests from the boy, Tayuya's encouraging words and determined efforts with her mouth had gotten him hard again quickly, which meant that she could ride him another time before sleep overtook the exhausted but satisfied teens. The second round was fuzzy at best in her memory; she could only remember key parts, and scattered mental images of herself bouncing up and down on his lap like her life depended on it. One thing was for certain; she had definitely enjoyed it.

This, of course, prompted another question to the front of her mind. Was she different now, since she had given into her own bodily desires and actually, willfully debased herself with this guy? Was her personality somewhat altered over the course of one day, since she had done something so strongly against all her common sense and experience? Would she have done such a thing a month ago? Hell no, no question about it. Yet, she still felt like the same old Tayuya. But, if she was no different than before, then was the world somehow changed?

In fact, it felt like it was different for some reason. Right now, with his comfortably warm body rubbing tenderly against her, and the scent of his naked body tickling her nostrils, the world actually felt like a pretty nice place. Tayuya had never felt so comfortable in her life. She wouldn't mind just lying here forever, which was a rather strange thought in a mind like hers. It was as if everything was going to be alright from now on. Her life had seemingly taken a very abrupt turn for the better over the past few weeks, and hadn't had much time to contemplate it.

The thing that concerned the redhead the most was whether she herself would be able to handle the changes. She was damaged by her long and painful history, she knew that much, and Tayuya had no idea if she would be able to deal with this new existence that had opened up for her in the past month. Would she be able to simply settle down in this relatively peaceful village without looking over her shoulder the entire time, without letting paranoia gnaw and eat her up from the inside? Tayuya wasn't particularly sure about the answer. Her past would most certainly come back to haunt her again in time.

Tayuya shifted herself slightly on the bed, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. For some reason, she had the distinct impression of being watched by hidden eyes, and it bothered her a lot. She couldn't lie there anymore. Slowly and carefully, she detached herself from the black-haired boy's arm, and slid out of bed. She turned towards the bed, and in the gloom she could see him reaching desperately out for her warmth in his sleep. Tayuya smiled a tiny smile, finding it rather peculiar to see him like this. It was so unlike the irritatingly calm and composed person she was used to seeing. Acting on a whim, she took the pillow she had been sleeping on, and handed it to him. He seized it immediately, holding it close to his body as Tayuya exited the dark bedroom.

Tayuya's naked feet made a soft patting sound as she walked over the floor between the bedroom and bathroom doors. The faint light from outside cast thin shadows over the floor of the living room, and graced Tayuya's round butt as she walked to the bathroom. She was completely naked, all her clothes including her underwear having been abandoned during their passionate togetherness the evening before. Normally, she would have felt really shy and uncomfortable walking around stark naked, but right now she didn't mind it too much. Besides, it was dark both outside and inside, so she doubted that anyone could see her.

Actually, Tayuya was fairly certain there were no one outside at this time to look at her anyway. From what she could judge from the amount of light coming from outside, which was rather minute, she guessed it was around five in the morning. This meant that she had woken up quite early, but considering how early she'd fallen asleep it was not so strange. Her second time with the pineapple-head had exhausted her completely, as it was quite a lot more effort involved in being the one doing the majority of the moving. Tayuya had slipped into a satisfied unconsciousness only moments after finishing her twenty-minutes bouncing session.

The bright light in the bathroom struck her in the eyes as she opened the wooden door, and Tayuya squinted her groggy, chestnut eyes as she stepped inside. She suddenly felt more vulnerable, now that she was illuminated in bright light. As Tayuya hurriedly closed the bathroom door behind her, her mind once again went over what they had done the night before. She had really enjoyed it, she realized. Her hand wandered hesitantly down to her private parts, and she was surprised to find a small trail of dried semen below her vaginal entrance. Obviously, both of them had fallen asleep before even cleaning up. She idly wondered if the rest of his cum was still inside.

Tayuya suddenly felt a chill running down her naked spine, and her blood ran cold. If he had blown his load inside of her, wasn't there a chance that she could get pregnant? From what she knew, the only requirement to get pregnant was for a guy to shoot his seed inside you. Actually, Tayuya was surprised that she had not become pregnant already, since she had been abused for the most of her life, and few if any of her rapists had ever had the decency to pull out in time. Tayuya eyed herself in the bathroom mirror, her hand slowly caressing her stomach. For a moment, she tried to picture herself with a large, protruding stomach. How would she look if she was pregnant? Would she still be able to be a shinobi if that happened?

- - - - -

Back in the bedroom, the second occupant of the comfortable bed stirred slowly, brought out from sleep's strong grip by the sudden disappearance of Tayuya's warm body. Shikamaru's hands reached out, searching for the naked form which had lain next to his own the whole night. As his hands failed to find any sign of the female, Shikamaru's groggy eyes slowly opened, blinking against the darkness. His eyesight slowly, but steadily adjusted to the lack of light, while his brain at the same time began working again after being asleep. The first thought that came into his mind was that he was in his own room. The next thought told him that it was still very early in the morning, judging by the lack of natural light in the room.

Shikamaru sat up on the bed, the sudden movement and rush of blood from his head making him slightly dizzy for a moment. Shaking his head softly to clear away his own drowsiness, Shikamaru looked down on the bed next to him, an empty spot right next to where he had slept. It was as if something clicked into place inside his brain, and a single question forced itself to the front of his mind. Where was Tayuya?

He could remember the night before very clearly. Or at least the first half of the act they had done. After the first time, he could remember Tayuya lowering her head down to his crotch and working her magic to get him ready again. What had happened afterwards was a bit of a blur to him, but he guessed they had fallen asleep together after the second time. But seeing as the girl was not next to him anymore, the original question remained: where had Tayuya gone?

Had she left? A small voice of reason in his mind protested against the possibility, but the thought still troubled Shikamaru. Had he gone too far last night? She _had_ seemed to enjoy it, but perhaps she had felt differently afterwards? He did not know; he still didn't understand the redhead in any large degree, and any attempt to comprehend her thought process was just simple guesswork.

Lost in his own thoughts, it took Shikamaru a few seconds to become aware of the familiar sound that teased his ears. It came from the wall, and it didn't take Shikamaru long to recognize the sound. He suddenly knew exactly where the red-haired girl was. The sound he could hear was the trickling sound of water running through metal pipes.

- - - - -

The warm spray of water felt perfect against her skin, and Tayuya closed her brown eyes in satisfaction as she brought her face right in front of the shower head. The spray stood against her face, the hot water flooding down her front, making her body feel nice and clean. After staying for months in the filthy prison, Tayuya made a point of showering every morning now that she had free access to the needed facilities. It was simply the best way to wake up properly.

The sound of the bathroom door opening and closing barely penetrated the sound of falling water, but Tayuya was notified of someone entering the room. Turning her head towards the door, she confirmed that it was indeed the pineapple-haired boy who had entered. The two teens looked at each other for a moment through the damp glass of the shower door. Tayuya turned her head away, forcing herself to focus on the shower head which was still spraying hot water right in her face. Lowering her head, she let the warm water hit her crimson hair. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Shikamaru sitting down on the toilet seat, his eyes still watching her.

Neither of them said anything for about half a minute. Tayuya kept watching him from the side as she washed her half-length, red hair, her irritation towards the boy growing slowly. The uncomfortable silence was really starting to get to her, and it didn't seem like the boy was going to say anything. He seemed content with simply sitting there and watching her.

"Hey, you want to use the shower?" Tayuya asked finally as she stood up straight, raising her voice slightly so that her words would carry through the sound of falling water. She shook her head lightly, tossing the soaked red hair out of her eyes as she watched him nod slowly. She caught herself wondering what would happen if she just opened the shower door for him now. Would he come in and join her under the pleasant, warm water? Would he place his hands on her naked skin and caress her- She shook her head again, more violently this time, stubbornly forcing the unusual thoughts from her head. What the hell was she thinking?!

The shower door opened and Tayuya stepped out hurriedly, wanting to get out of the shower cubicle before her treacherous mind convinced her to give her host 'suggestions'. As she placed her foot on the tiled floor and leaned her weight on, there was a sudden jolt in her heart beat as wet sole momentarily slipped. To her surprise, Shikamaru was on his feet in an instant, presumably to catch her if she was to fall. Tayuya regained her footing almost immediately however, and she smirked slightly at the boy. She could take care of herself, she thought triumphantly.

He was naked, she noticed now, her smirk failing slightly as she looked at his naked figure. As much as she tried to prevent it, her eyes traveled south, down his flat stomach, towards his crotch. His member was hanging half-erect between his thighs, and Tayuya blushed a bit as she found herself staring at it. It looked so large, especially since it wasn't even fully hard. Had that thing really been inside her just a handful of hours ago? She knew that it was even larger when he was fully aroused, and she wondered how she had been able to take the whole thing. It seemed to her simply impossible.

As she looked at the boy standing stark naked in front of her, Tayuya was painfully aware of her own distinct lack of clothing. She could almost feel his eyes wandering slowly over her naked form, taking in every inch of her bare skin. Her cheeks burned, and Tayuya had to resist the pressing urge to lunge for a towel to cover herself with. Only by taking a deep breath did she manage to steady herself. Why was she so embarrassed? He had seen her naked before. Fuck, he had probably seen more of her than just about anyone else. And yet, Tayuya couldn't stop her cheeks from going warm and red as he looked at her.

In an attempt to break the awkward silence that had fallen over the two of them and at the same time take the attention away from her still-blushing cheeks, Tayuya cleared her throat and lifted her gaze from his crotch to look in his eyes. For some reason, she thought his cock looked somewhat larger than a few moments ago.

"Shower's all yours." She stated simply as she moved to the side, giving him free access to the shower cubicle. Grabbing a lime-green towel from the washing stand, Tayuya tossed it over her head and began drying her hair roughly. From underneath the brightly coloured fabric, she could see the boy's feet padding past on the tiled floor and enter the shower.

As Tayuya dried first her hair and then her body, she watched the boy out of the corner of her eye, through the fogged transparency of the shower glass. She was confused. Confused with how her mind reacted to seeing him without any clothes on and the way her body seemed to have a life of its own when he was nearby. She didn't understand the new and strange sensations within her, and she felt vulnerable because of it. She needed time to think.

No sooner was Tayuya done drying herself off, before she strode out of the bathroom and into the bedroom to get dressed. Even if no one could actually see her, she still did not feel fully comfortable walking around naked. In her mind, being naked was almost inexorably linked to humiliation and pain. Only the night before had been different in that matter. The night she and the boy had spent together had been the first time she had been so close to someone, and not come out of the experience hurt. In fact, he had made her feel something she had never felt before, and she was not just thinking about the physical pleasure.

She was having problems processing all the confusing new feelings inside her, and it made her head ache slightly. Tayuya rubbed her temple with a few fingers as she walked through the dark living room towards the bedroom door. As she entered the bedroom, Tayuya made her way through the near-darkness towards the dresser as the foot-end of the bed. Inside the dresser were all her own and Shikamaru's clothes, stacked in neat piles on each shelf. She had threatened the black-haired boy with more violence if he didn't get his shit together a few days ago, and it seemed to have worked, to Tayuya's satisfaction, regardless of the fact that he didn't actually seem very scared by her promise of 'violence'. Either way, the floor of the bedroom was now free of any discarded pieces of clothing.

Tayuya found herself some clothes on her side of the shelves, and put them on. White underwear and bra were put on first, and then covered by a long-sleeved t-shirt with a colour that matched the hue of her own hair and a pair of loose-fitting, dark jeans. She knew her clothes were not particularly fitting of her profession as a shinobi, but for the moment she was considered a civilian in this village. The thought somewhat amused her, and she found it quite strange how fate had placed her in this unexpected turn of events. It was not what she would have expected during her fight with the boy, almost three months earlier.

Having put on her clothes, Tayuya headed on into the living room. She intended to open the fridge and find herself some breakfast, but for some reason the redhead found herself stopping in front of the living room window. Leaning her arm on the window sill, Tayuya looked out at the still-sleeping village outside. Blocky stone buildings of various shapes and sizes stretched out in front of her, with the massive outer wall of the village visible in the distance. Behind it, the early morning sun was just beginning to crest the white-peaked mountains beyond. Tayuya sighed softly to herself.

It wasn't that this village was a bad place or anything. Fuck, it was much preferable to the hell on earth that was the Sound Village. The thing that bothered her was that it was not a place where she belonged. By any rights, she was an enemy of everyone living here, having participated in both the attack on the village itself and the murder of its previous leader. Despite all that, they still allowed her to live here as if nothing had happened. Of course, only a few people in the village knew her real identity, and Tayuya was planning to keep it that way. The last thing she wanted now was to have an angry mob out for her head.

Tayuya stared out of the window, her eyes focusing on nothing in particular as she let her thoughts wander. It had been more than three months since the last time she had set her feet outside the walls of this village, and her stay was starting to look more and more like a permanent thing. Tayuya could hardly believe that she was actually considering settling down here. She wouldn't exactly miss Orochimaru or the Sound Village, but changing her allegiance still wasn't something Tayuya felt entirely comfortable with. Maybe it was because she knew that if Orochimaru ever got his pale, freaky hands on her again, she would face unimaginable agony and pain. That thought still scared her quite a bit.

What if her former master decided to send someone after her? Would she then be putting the life of the pineapple-head at risk? What if he got hurt? Wait, why was she even thinking like this? Tayuya closed her eyes, shaking her head softly in exasperation. When had she turned as soft-hearted as this? It was not like her to care about anyone else, since no one cared about her well-being. No one seemed to offer her a second thought, except for one particular person.

As if on cue, Tayuya heard the soft sound of naked feet walking across wooden floor, and she turned her head to see the source of the sound. Shikamaru, wearing a blue towel around his waist to cover up his privates, approached her in the half-gloom of the room, making no attempt to hide his presence from her. He stopped in front of her, looking straight into her eyes. Tayuya stared back, doing her best to prevent her own chestnut eyes from moving down his almost-naked body.

"Is there something bothering you?" Shikamaru asked, his sincere eyes resting on her, seemingly piercing right through her. "You look like you have a lot of stuff on your mind." Tayuya was surprised that he could tell. She considered herself very good at hiding her personal feelings. Then again, a lot of things had surprised her since she first arrived in this village, so maybe she wasn't as good as she had originally thought. She pulled her eyes away, breaking their locked gazes to look out the window. She stared out at the darkness beyond the glass, suddenly very conscious of the proximity of his presence.

"It's nothing," she lied, as she leaned her lower arms on the window sill. The glass felt comfortably cool against her skin as she leaned her forehead against the surface of the window. In the reflection, she could see him still standing behind her, looking at her with an expression of mild incredulity. She raised an eyebrow, and rounded on him, one arm still on the window sill. "I'm fucking serious."

Shikamaru simply shrugged and approached to stand next to her, leaning on the ledge next to her, the sill wide enough for both of them to stand side by side. Tayuya resumed resting her arms on the window sill, and together they stared out at the morning gloom beyond the glass. There were a few moments of silence before the black-haired shinobi opened his mouth again. "Are you sure? You woke up quite early today." He gave her a small smile and a sideway glance, and Tayuya blushed slightly. It seemed like he wasn't fooled by her lie.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Tayuya insisted, realizing that she needed to change the subject. She grasped at the first subject that entered her mind, and decided to move the conversation onto a new direction. "Besides, it's pretty hard to get a good night's sleep here," she commented with a mocking smirk directed at the boy. "For a guy who's usually so annoyingly quiet and calm, you sure snore fucking loud." This time it was Shikamaru's turn to look awkward, and Tayuya grinned triumphantly to herself, pleased with her success at getting the so-called 'genius' out of balance for once.

- - - - -

Shikamaru chuckled slightly as the redhead implied that she had in fact woken up from the sound of his snoring. He could tell that Tayuya was reluctant to tell why she had really woken up early, so he decided not to push the subject. If it was something she wanted to share with him, she hopefully would eventually. He lifted his hands, signaling his defeat against the redhead's statement. "Fine, sorry, sorry," he said, with a slight smile as he saw the satisfied grin spread over her pink lips. Really, if she was going to smile like that every time she got her way, he wouldn't mind all that much letting her win more often.

Even though he had apologized, she did not seem to mind much. Still sporting that infectious grin of hers, she waved him off with a flick of her hand, as if saying that it was no big deal. She then turned her attention back to looking out of the window, and Shikamaru could see the grin slowly but surely slipping off her lips. She looked almost thoughtful, as if she was deep in her own thoughts. He wondered what she was thinking about, and whether it was the same she had been thinking about before he had joined her. Once again, he wished she would tell him, but did not make any move to question her about it. It was better to give her time.

"Hey, could we go outside?" Tayuya asked after a little while, breaking the silence that had once again fallen over the pair. Shikamaru looked up and turned his head towards the redhead. She was still staring at the world outside the window, refusing to look at him even as she spoke. "I'd like to get some fresh air…"

"Now?" Shikamaru asked, surprised at the unexpected request. He stared out of the window. It was still early, and if it hadn't been for the occasional street light or lighted window in the neighborhood, it would have been pitch black outside. "It's still dark outside Tayuya. Are you sure you want to go out?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," Tayuya answered, her voice calm and patient, very much unlike the violent, potty-mouthed girl who had landed square in his lap two months ago. Sure, she still had her moments of being scary and bossy (she had even threatened him into cleaning his room), but for the most of the time she was now quieter, easier to handle, and, he had to admit, cuter than before.

"There's fewer people out this early." she finished, finally turning to look at him with her chestnut eyes, her gaze expectant. Damn it, how could he possibly refuse? She was probably still feeling a bit insecure about being in a strange, and formerly enemy, village. That was most likely the reason why she wanted to go out at this time of the day. Not that he minded of course. With the thoughts of the night before still swirling around in his head, he felt like he could use some fresh air too.

- - - - -

As Tayuya had hoped, there were no other people outside this early in the morning. The hard-packed streets of Konoha were empty, only the random cat or dog shuffling around witnessing of any life residing there. She felt more comfortable like this, when she didn't have to hide her identity with a disguise. True, most people in this village wouldn't know who she was, but she did not want to run into any of the people who did know. Not even if Shikamaru was there to protect her.

_Wait, what the hell does that mean?!_ She did not need any fucking protection! Tayuya's brown eyes narrowed, suddenly angry at herself for letting slip such a weak thought. It wasn't the first time lately she had found herself thinking like this. Why did she act like she needed any help from him? She could well take care of herself, like she always had done in the past. Still, she felt troubled by all the thoughts in her head. Her new and confusing feelings towards her host weren't exactly making anything better either. What she needed the most was time to think, but it seemed like every sensible thought in her head would instantly evacuate her skull whenever he was near her.

The atmosphere outside seemed to have a positive effect on her, though. Walking in the silent streets of the village, with only the tranquil of the approaching dawn and the quiet sound of their footfalls around her, Tayuya felt more at peace than she had in a long time. The air around her smelled fresh and clean, as if the night had purified it of all scents and odours. Above her, up in the sky amidst small dots of clouds, stars were slowly dimming as the sun climbed up from behind the horizon. Once again the vast difference between Konoha and the Sound Village struck her, and she knew without a shadow of doubt which one she preferred.

That said, Tayuya really had no idea how long she would want to stay in this village, or whether the blonde woman they called the Hokage would even allow her to. After all, she was an enemy, and there was no way she could change that fact, was there? Even if she could, she wouldn't feel comfortable with leeching off Shikamaru for the rest of her life, or until he found himself a girlfriend. Tayuya suddenly felt down, at the thought of him being with someone else. Normally she wouldn't give a shit, but for some strange reason it just felt so wrong to her. Why did all these new feelings have to be so fucking confusing?

Her attention was effectively brought back to the here and now, as she heard an audible growling sound, like an angry animal. It took Tayuya the whole of five seconds to realize that the snarling sound originated from her own stomach, and the revelation made her cheeks go hot. Shikamaru must've realized where the sound came from too, because she could see him doing his best to hide an amused smirk as he looked at her. Tayuya stopped walking, and gave him a cold glare as she rubbed her own stomach through the crimson shirt.

- - - - -

Shikamaru was quite amused as he saw Tayuya's cheeks darken, the reddish hue visible even in the gloom of the early morning. Frankly, it wasn't that much of a surprise that her stomach was growling. Neither of them had eaten since the middle of the day before, with their fighting and subsequent fornication, and Shikamaru too was starting to feel the hunger gnawing in his gut.

"Are you hungry, Tayuya?" he asked, at which the only response he got was a dumb stare from the redhead. Okay, so maybe it was somewhat of a stupid question to ask when her stomach sounded almost like an angry wolverine. Shikamaru looked towards the horizon, the burning orb of the sun just beginning to creep up past the mountains. He turned towards the impatiently awaiting girl and smiled.

"I know a place where we can get food this early."

**To Be Continued…**

Another chapter done. Now I'm off to study for my history exams. If I get my way, I will have another chapter up before New Year (2 year anniversary of this story, hell yeah!), but I'm making no promises (as usual) :P

Until next time!

Haraio

5


	19. Chapter 19: Good Advice

Hi all!

A belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! How is 2010 treating you all so far? For me it's been a lot of stress and other stuff, so I haven't had as much time to write as I would have liked. I'm back at University, classes have started up, and I've had an assignment in classical history to write before mid-February. I've also bought myself an X-box 360, so I'm having plenty fun with Assassin's Creed 2 and Tekken 6 with the result that, once again, gaming takes precious time away from my writing. And as the icing on the cake of delays, my girlfriend ended up in hospital in the beginning of February, so I haven't felt like writing much lately.

Anyway, I want to send out a big "thank you!" to each and every one of you. As of 27th of December 2009, this story has been up on this website for TWO YEARS, and I want to give thanks to everyone who has made this happen. Thank you to Lord-Strath and WilliamBandet, for your continued advice, support, and helpful discussions regarding our favourite redhead. Thank you to my girlfriend Natasja, who puts up with me through thick and thin and helps me proof-read every single chapter. And last but not least, thank you to every single person who review, favourite and read this story. You all make it worth the effort.

Now, for this chapter: We're finally going to have some more action, as we are entering the second half of this fanfic. I don't know exactly how many more chapters there will be, but my estimate is around ten chapters more or so. In other words, if all go to plan, everything will come together around chapter 30 and the third-year mark of this story :-)

Enough talk, here is the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I still don't own any Naruto characters.

**Chapter 19: Good Advice**

A flock of small, caramel-coloured sparrows chirped and twittered happily on the telephone lines above, basking in the morning sun that was still rising from the crest of the horizon. Tayuya looked up at them as she passed underneath their resting place. It was strange, really. Normally she wouldn't pay attention to such insignificant things like local fauna, but for some reason she just felt like looking at the tiny avian critters. They looked so happy, without a single worry in the world. Tayuya wished she could have felt the same way. By any rights, she should have felt happy. She sighed softly to herself, a quiet exhale of breath, as she lowered her chestnut eyes to look at the dark-haired boy walking next to her. He, and to a lesser extent the village she was currently staying in, seemed to have a strange effect on her, one which she still did not fully understand.

The red-haired kunoichi was still brooding on this matter when she realized that they were heading outside of the central parts of Konohagakure. Behind her were the more habituated areas of the village, and in front of her was a small cluster of houses. Flanking the small settlement, on the side closest to the sheer cliff wall in the center of the village, was a thick forest of large, leafy trees, dwarfing the wooden houses in their shadow. It only took a few moments for Tayuya to realize that this had to be his clan's part of the village. It suddenly dawned on her just exactly where they were going. They were going to visit his family!

As they walked up to one of the houses, Tayuya could almost hear her own heart beating faster with every step. It was ridiculous, of course, but she was really, really nervous. She, Tayuya of the-, no, formerly of the Sound, ex-Elite of the Snake Sannin Orochimaru, was actually nervous about the prospect of meeting this guy's parents. If she hadn't been so damn anxious, she would have laughed at her pitiful self.

She didn't feel like laughing, however, when she considered the implications of this. As far as she knew about relationships, which wasn't much to be completely honest, one sign that it was getting serious was meeting the other's parents. Sure, they got along infinitely better than they had the first time they had met, which wasn't really saying much, but Tayuya had no idea if this was what she really wanted or needed. Fuck, she would be happy if she could even understand what she felt for the damn pineapple-head. All these feelings were simply too confusing to her.

Tayuya felt quite a bit of trepidation as she watched the raven-haired boy ring the bell next to the door, and they could hear the weak ringing notes through the wood. There was no way back now. Well, except for running away of course, but Tayuya doubted that would be a good course of action. Most likely she would be captured for trying to escape her confinement with the boy. Still, it was a tempting possibility, rather than facing his family. She didn't even have any idea what his parents would be like.

Her unspoken question was answered soon enough, as the front door was suddenly thrust forcefully open, and the two teens were faced with a rather irate woman, presumably in her late mid-thirties. Her hair was dark brown, pulled back tight in a pony-tail, and a yellow apron was tied around her waist. She glared pointedly at the young boy, for the time being ignoring Tayuya completely. The redhead didn't really mind being overlooked right now, because the woman seemed really ticked off at the moment.

"Shikamaru! What the hell have you been doing?!" the older woman snapped, her voice filled with fierce and unyielding authority as she berated her son loudly. "Why haven't we seen you for an entire month?!" As the woman continued her verbal assault, Tayuya couldn't help but smirk slightly with amusement. The dark-haired boy next to her, who was usually so calm and confident even in front of her own foul language, seemed to shrink helplessly with every word from his mother's mouth. The smile wiped off her face, however, when the woman's fierce eyes turned to regard her, seemingly noticing her for the first time. Her angry expression softened a bit, but Tayuya couldn't help but shrink and swallow quietly to herself. What the hell had she gotten herself into now?

- - - - -

They followed the now-smiling woman, who had presented herself to Tayuya as Nara Yoshino, into the house, and Tayuya looked around, picking up the entirety of her surroundings with the casual ease of an experienced shinobi. The house had a distinct rural feel to it, with yellow wooden walls and comfortable furnishing, and there was even a pair of large, pointy deer antlers on one of the walls. For a moment, Tayuya remembered back to the house where she had spent her first years, and she suddenly felt a pang of envy for her black-haired companion. This was the kind of place where she would have wanted to grow up, she realized, and that just made the reality more painful for her.

Upon entering what Tayuya assumed was the dining room, she immediately made an interesting discovery; where Shikamaru had gotten his ridiculous hair-style from. Sitting by the wooden kitchen table, drinking coffee from a grey cup, was a man who could only be Shikamaru's dad. He was a man presumably in his late thirties, wearing a standard shinobi mesh shirt and dark pants. His face greatly resembled a more mature version of his son's, only differentiated by a small collection of scars marking him as an experienced shinobi, as well as a short goatee on his chin. He was also, as Tayuya had first noticed, wearing the same hideous pineapple-hair as the boy next to her.

The man had been sitting with his eyes closed, seemingly lost in his own thoughts, but as they entered the room he opened his eyes to regard them. As his eyes fell upon them, a small smile crooked his lips, and he gestured with his gaze towards the two simple wooden chairs opposite from where he was sitting. Now that they were closer, she could see the scars on the man's cheek and forehead more clearly, and she for some reason caught herself wondering how deep those wounds had cut. As wide as the scars were, Tayuya could tell the wounds had been a least an inch or two deep, and she wondered how he had survived such injuries to the face.

Nara Shikaku lowered the grey cup he had been holding slowly to the table, letting the odour of strong, spicy herbal tea reach over to the young teens. His gaze moved between the two youngsters, before settling on the red-haired girl. "You must be the ex-Sound kunoichi the Hokage has been talking about?" he asked her, the almost imperceptible smile still on his face. "Nara Shikaku. Jounin Commander of Konoha and Shikamaru's father, but you probably guessed that last part already," he presented himself to her, his small smile growing a tiny bit at the last statement.

Tayuya couldn't do anything but nod dumbly at his question, momentarily at a loss for words. The father of this lazy-ass guy she had been staying with for the past few weeks, was in fact the Jounin Commander, one of the highest military positions within the village? She could hardly believe it. Despite looking very similar, Tayuya felt that father and son were very different in personality. Realizing she hadn't yet introduced herself to the man, Tayuya forced her mouth to make audible sounds once again. "Tayuya, formerly of the Sound Village."

"Tayuya? That's a beautiful name," Yoshino commented with a smile as she returned from the neighboring room. Tayuya blushed slightly at the remark, still unused to receiving compliments, especially from people she didn't really know yet. Shikamaru's mother smiled wider, and stopped in front of her. "So, Tayuya, would you two like some breakfast, or have you already eaten?"

Tayuya stumbled for an answer, not really knowing how she was supposed to answer, before the boy next to her came to her rescue. "Yeah mom, we'd like some breakfast please," he answered, his eyes meeting Tayuya's as she turned to look at him, his expression carrying a tiny hint of amusement. She felt both relieved and annoyed at the same time; relieved because he had saved her from the awkward situation, and annoyed that he could obviously tell that she was relieved for the former. She wanted to smack the small smirk off his face, but she stayed her hand. She didn't want to do anything rash in front of his parents. There was plenty of time to do that later.

As Yoshino disappeared into the kitchen to find some breakfast for Shikamaru and Tayuya, Shikaku leant forward a bit, surveying the two teens with his cool eyes. "I was actually going to head over to your apartment today and look for the two of you," he informed them, and Tayuya could see a small smile quirking the corner of his lips. "But it seems you beat me to it."

"Why? Is something up?" Shikamaru asked, as always straight to the point, sensing that his father, a very busy man, had not just intended to visit just for pleasantries. His suspicion was confirmed as his father shrugged his shoulders, indicating that he didn't know the full reason either.

"I don't know," the older Nara said, as his eyes travelled from his son to the redhead sitting by his side. "All I know, is that the Hokage is planning something for the two of you, which will make use of your 'special knowledge', whatever that means," he finished, before lifting the grey mug to his lips once again.

Tayuya listened to the conversation between the two with interest. Her 'special knowledge' as the Hokage had put it, was the main reason she had been allowed to stay in the village, and Tayuya had expected the Hokage to make use of it as soon as possible. Thus, it didn't come as much of a surprise to her that the blonde woman wanted to see them. The information Tayuya, as a former member of Orochimaru's elite, carried around with her was a gold-mine for an enemy of Otogakure.

Her train of thoughts was disturbed as Tayuya felt her stomach growling, and as if on cue, Shikamaru's mother returned from the kitchen, carrying two plates with sliced bread and a mix of pastries. One of the plates was placed in front of Tayuya, and she didn't waste any time before digging in. A satisfied smile spread over her lips as she ate, the food filling her starving stomach nicely.

"That's it?" Shikamaru inquired of his father, as he too took a bite of his breakfast. "The Hokage didn't say anything more about her plans?" The older Nara shook his head, and lifted the grey cup of tea to his lip, taking a long sip of the strong-smelling liquid before lowering it once again. "No, she didn't. She only said that she wanted to see the two of you as quickly as possible."

Shikamaru sighed, rubbing the back of his black hair with his hand. "Troublesome. I guess we'll head over there as soon as we finish our breakfast, then. How about it, Tayuya?" As Shikamaru said this, he turned to look at his red-haired companion, who was still busy stuffing her face with food. She looked up, a puzzled expression on her face, made all the more hilarious by the fact that her cheeks were stuffed with food. For a moment, Shikamaru thought that she looked most like a squirrel.

Tayuya swallowed down the food in her mouth and then looked at the dark-haired boy, a bit annoyed at being disturbed while eating. "Yeah, we should go there before Blondie gets impatient," she agreed, as she scooped up the last of the bread with her hand and tossed it into her mouth. _Besides, I'm curious to see what she's planned_, Tayuya thought, as she watched Shikamaru finishing his food as well.

Again displaying an impressive skill for timing, Shikamaru's mother once again arrived from the room next door, still smiling and looking cheerful. Tayuya could hardly believe it was the same woman who had scolded her son so completely outside the front door earlier. The dark-haired woman picked up the plates of herself and her husband, and then turned towards the two teens, warm smile still on her face. "Tayuya, would you be a dear and help me with those plates?"

Tayuya hesitated, and turned her head to Shikamaru for guidance. He simply nodded his head almost imperceptibly, letting her know that she should just go ahead and do as the older woman asked of her. Tayuya felt kind of reluctant following the somewhat scary woman into the other room. But it seemed like she didn't have much of a choice at the moment. Rising hesitantly, Tayuya seized hers and Shikamaru's empty plates, before following Shikamaru's mother out of the dining room.

- - - - -

Shikamaru looked after Tayuya's back as the red-haired girl followed his mother into the kitchen, the empty bowls in her hands. He wasn't entirely comfortable leaving Tayuya alone with his mother, as she was the first girl he had ever brought home, and he suspected that his nosy mother would question her. Well, there was nothing he could do to prevent it, so he just hoped Tayuya would be okay on her own for a few minutes.

"It seems you've found yourself a nice girlfriend at last, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru sighed, glancing at his dad, who was smirking amusedly at him. "She's troublesome, loud and bossy, just like Mom," Shikamaru said, half expecting the woman in question to berate him from the kitchen. The fact that she didn't made him wonder if she was too occupied with the redhead to notice, and suddenly he felt a bit worried for Tayuya. Shikaku, however, seemed unconcerned about what the two females were talking about in the kitchen, and he easily picked up the unspoken 'but' in Shikamaru statement.

"…but," Shikaku said, a knowing smile playing over his lightly scarred face as he continued his son's sentence. "You now understand what I meant when I said 'even a troublesome woman has her soft moments', don't you?"

"Yeah, I do." Shikamaru had to admit to the fact. Under the outward appearance of a foul-mouthed, violent, teenage kunoichi, Tayuya definitely had a soft, appealing side, not to mention a larger amount of painful memories than anyone should ever be forced to carry with them. Shikamaru remembered how utterly bothersome and taxing the redhead had appeared to him when they had first met, and perhaps for the first time, Shikamaru realized what his father really saw in the bossy, troublesome woman that was his mother.

- - - - -

Tayuya followed Shikamaru's mother into the kitchen, plates in hand. The kitchen had the same rural feel as the rest of the house, with plenty of space in front of hardwood kitchen counters. A large window with thin, white curtains above the sink allowed the morning sun to flow into the room, making every surface gleam with light.

Yoshino smiled at the younger redhead as they put the plates down on the counter. "Thank you for the help, Tayuya," she said, as she twisted the handle on the sink, making water pour into it. Tayuya watched as the woman began washing the dishes they had taken with a brush. She didn't really know what she should be doing, and she debated to herself whether she should go back to the pineapple-haired boy and his equally hairstyle-impaired father, or stay in the kitchen with his mother.

Her question was effectively answered as the dark-haired woman turned to her, offering her the plate she had just been washing. "You wouldn't mind giving me a hand with the dishes, dear?" she asked, her tone warm and inviting, matching the calm in her eyes.

Tayuya hesitated, momentarily unsure of what to do, before she accepted the dripping wet plate. Grabbing a small dish towel from a hook near the sink, Tayuya slowly began the process of drying the plates as the older woman washed them. For a few minutes they were both silent, but Tayuya could feel the dark-haired woman's gaze on her every now and then.

Truth to be told, this was one of the first times Tayuya did anything like this. In the Sound Village, she had done little besides going on missions and killing time between them, and Shikamaru did most of the house work when she stayed in his apartment. Although rather clumsy at first, Tayuya quickly managed to get a good technique for drying the plates with the same pace as Shikamaru's mother washed them. To Tayuya's pleasant surprise, she realized that she got some satisfaction from doing this sort of thing. She felt useful, and the feeling of restlessness which had plagued her the past month diminished for the moment.

"You must be feeling a bit uncomfortable still," the older woman said suddenly, startling Tayuya. She stiffened slightly, before her mind processed what she had said. She nodded slowly, and Yoshino smiled warmly. "I understand if it feels somewhat awkward. I imagine it isn't everyday you settle down in a new village, and an enemy village at that."

Tayuya stared at the dark-haired woman for a few moments. She seemed sincere enough, and Tayuya got the distinct feeling that it wouldn't hurt to talk to the woman for a bit. "I...guess," she said hesitantly, looking down at the half-dry plate in her hand. "Mostly, I'm just...I don't know, surprised that everyone accepts me so easily," Tayuya glanced at the woman, noticing that she was watching her with a curious expression. "If this was the Sound Village, I as an outsider would've been killed on sight."

"Say, Tayuya," Yoshino said, as she put the plate she was washing down on the counter, "have you ever considered that the people who you fight, and sometimes kill, are humans just like you and me, with dreams, hopes and fears?" she asked. There was no tone of accusation in her voice, just a simple curiosity.

The question took Tayuya aback. It was not something she had expected to be asked, and she wondered for a moment about what it meant. Orochimaru had always insisted that they were above such considerations, but now that she thought about it she felt uncomfortable with that viewpoint. She shook her head slowly. "No. It's just easier to simply think of them as obstacles who're standing in your way," she said, hesitantly, watching the woman's expression.

The older woman smiled, a warm smile filled with compassion, but Tayuya thought she could also see a hint of sadness in her eyes. "I guess it's not always a vital point of view for a shinobi. It is, however, an important part of being a human being." At this point, the woman turned to regard Tayuya fully, with eyes that were completely different from the fierce eyes she had possessed when Tayuya had first seen her. "Without the ability to see the human face behind the mask of an enemy, we lose ourselves in our task, and cease to be human beings. We'll be simply rendered into weapons, little better than a kunai, ready to be put aside when we're blunted and worn." _So she was, or possibly had been, a shinobi after all_, Tayuya wondered, as she met the gaze of the older female, for some strange reason feeling awfully small all of a sudden. "And I don't think that's what you want, is it, Tayuya?"

Her words were more of statement than a real question, and Tayuya knew that the woman was right. It was not what she wanted, but through cruel necessity it was what she had become at her former master's hands. Her chest suddenly felt loaded, like the weight of the uncomfortable truth was finally pushing down on her. She thought about what a kunai really was, and shuddered inwardly. She was nothing more than exactly that; a pitiful, temporarily useful tool, easy to get rid of once she had completed her task. Tayuya did not know exactly how she could possibly change what she had been turned into, but she knew for certain that staying in this village was her best chance of doing precisely that.

- - - - -

Shikaku and Yoshino saw the two teens off at the back door of their house. The idea was for Tayuya and Shikamaru to take a shortcut through the Nara forest to the Hokage Tower, to see what the Hokage had in store for them. By now, the sun had risen higher on the azure sky, and the village was slowly awakening from its slumber. Just like the day before, it was looking out to be a beautiful day, with only a few grey clouds on the horizon diminishing the prospect of nice weather.

"You two take care now, alright?" Yoshino said with a smile, as she gave Shikamaru a light, motherly hug. Tayuya smiled to herself as the boy blushed visibly at the display of affection, only to be the one blushing herself as the woman repeated the gesture with her too. As the older woman pulled away from the gentle hug, she spoke to Tayuya, a knowing smile on her face. "And Tayuya-san, remember to keep him on a tight leash so that he'll behave." Tayuya laughed, and she could see Shikamaru's dad smirking behind the older woman's back. She had to admit, she liked this guy's parents. Again she felt a pang of slight jealousy; she wished she had had parents like them when growing up.

"Don't worry, I will," Tayuya assured the dark-haired mother, as she and Shikamaru turned to walk. "And, thank you," she tossed over her shoulder, a sincere smile on her pink lips. The conversation in the kitchen had given her some important things to think about, and she was grateful for it. As they walked away from the house, and past the first trees of the forest, she could see the pineapple-haired boy staring at her from the corner of her eye. "What was that all about?" he finally asked her, after about a minute of walking in relative silence. Tayuya turned her head, regarding him with her chestnut eyes. "What do you mean?"

"That," he said, motioning back towards the house in the distance with his hand, "You were so polite with them." Tayuya chuckled slightly, and then smirked at the black-haired boy. "What, just because I kick your ass around all the time, I can't be nice to other people?" Shikamaru smiled a bit, shrugging his shoulders at her question. "I guess. By the way, what were you thanking my mom for?" he asked, his expression curious as he looked at his female partner. This time it was Tayuya's turn to shrug. "Nothing," she lied. She didn't want him to know what she was thinking after talking to his mother. This was something she needed to work out herself. He couldn't help her with this existential question.

The two teens walked in silence for a while, neither having anything particularly important to say to the other. Tayuya didn't mind the silence, but something felt… wrong. It was as if someone was watching her, and it was not the boy at her side. There was this prickling sensation in the back of her neck, like an itch inside her skin, which she could not scratch. Maybe she was just imagining things. Who would be watching them out here in the forest anyway?

Deciding to put her mind on other things, Tayuya reached her hand into her pocket and retrieved her flute. The cool metal glinted in the few rays of sunlight that penetrated the thick canopy above, and Tayuya thought that this instrument, even if simple, was a really beautiful work of art. It was her treasure. Smiling, she put the metal flute to her lips, and breathed life into the instrument.

Haunting, thrilling notes leapt unbidden from her lips, flowing easily from the flute with every breath she exhaled. They were like a moonless night; clear and dark, but with a beautiful undertone that swept through the melody. It made her happy, being able to play her instrument not only for the reason to fight, but for her own enjoyment. Out of the corner of her eye, Tayuya could see Shikamaru nodding his head slowly in rhythm to the music, and she smiled. For some reason, she felt even happier that he was enjoying her music too. She couldn't explain it; the simple sight of seeing him listening to and appreciating her music made her beam with satisfaction.

She was happy to be free. Free from Orochimaru's grasp, free to walk around as she wanted, free to do what she wanted. And she was happy to be with Shikamaru, she realized too. He was the one who had made it all possible. He had taken care of her when she was hurt, he had confronted the Hokage for her, and he had showed her that there were other things in the world but pain and suffering. And he was the one who had gotten her out of the prison in the first place, with the help of the metal instrument she was currently pressing to her pink lips. She was so grateful to him.

Slowly, Tayuya lowered the cool metal flute from her lips, letting the sound of their foot falls replace the haunting notes of her instrument. She turned her head towards him, regarding him with her chestnut eyes. "You know, I never did thank you for getting me out of that prison," she said, a small smile on her pink lips as she looked at the person who had saved her from all the pain and humiliation.

The smile slipped off her face, though, as she noticed the expression on his face. Rather than one of understanding, Shikamaru's face was filled with confusion, as if he had no idea what she was talking about. Tayuya stopped walking, turning to face him, her mouth opening but no sound leaving her lips.

She felt her blood freezing to ice in her veins. Something was wrong. Horribly, horribly wrong. The niggling feeling in the back of her neck returned again, stronger than before, and she could feel a trembling cold run down her spine. Instinctively, her hand squeezed harder around the cold metal of the flute.

"What do you mean?" The confusion apparent in Shikamaru's voice mirrored the one she could clearly see on his face, and her stomach knotted together. He hadn't done it. He wasn't the one who had thrown the flute through the window. That meant there had to be someone else who would want her free. Someone who knew that a flute would be all she needed to get free, someone who knew her.

"Did you throw this flute through the prison window or not?" Tayuya demanded insistently from him, lifting the flute with a shaky hand. Try as she might, she couldn't keep all of the rapidly growing panic she felt from tainting her voice. She knew he could hear the change in her tone too, his eyes widening as he looked at the flute waved in front of his face.

Shikamaru shook his head slowly, still trying to process what she was asking of him, judging by the confused expression on his face. _Oh fuck, it really wasn't him_. This wasn't good. Whoever had busted her out of that hell hole, most likely hadn't done it just to be nice. It could only mean one thing…

"Was that how you escaped from there?" Shikamaru asked, a hint of concern in his voice as he took a small step closer. Tayuya stood frozen, her mind in panic. It took all her will power just to do something else than nod dumbly at his question. "Y-yeah. But, if you didn't do it, then who…?"

"That would be me."

Both teens spun around in surprise at the dark, mirthful voice, as a figure dropped down from one of the tall trees, landing on the path only a dozen meters behind them. Though neither of them knew who the person was or what he wanted, they both knew one thing: They were in serious trouble.

**To Be Continued…**

Dun dun duuuuuun!

Whew, that was a long delay, but at least I finally finished the chapter. Feels good to have it done, because I'm going for a Warhammer tournament in two days, and now I have this off my shoulders.

The next chapter will be a lot of action, and hopefully I will be able to write it faster than this one. It wasn't my intention to keep you all waiting for more than two months, honestly. Again, I want to thank you all for being so patient with me, even though I update so slowly :-)

Please, post a review and let me know what you think about the chapter. I always appreciate to get feedback on my work :-)

Until next time

Haraio


	20. Chapter 20: Torn Apart

Well well, here we are again. As usual, this chapter took longer than I would have liked it to, but as always I have good (or at least satisfactory) reasons for my own delaying. For one, I had my Easter break, which means that I spent a lot of time hanging out with my family, watching my sister's kids, and working at the retail store where I spend my vacations. Apart from the Easter break, I also have begun preparing for my exams in late May. On that note, the next chapter will probably also be late, since I probably won't begin writing on it until I'm done with the exams (which will be in early June…). So please, have a bit of patience with me :-)

As always, my proof reader and muse for this chapter is my faithful girlfriend Natasja. She's done a wonderful job of making sure this chapter is as good as all the previous one, even though she's currently in a hospital bed. Please wish her swift recovery!

Finally, Shikamaru and Tayuya get to meet the person who's been hanging over their lives like a dark cloud, stalking them throughout the story. I'm glad I finally got to write this chapter, and I have to say I honestly did not expect my story to go as far as chapter 20 when I first started it. Thank you all for your continued support, and I promise I will see this story through to the end! :-)

Without further ado, on to the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto yet. Damn you Masashi Kishimoto!

**Chapter 20: Torn Apart**

The world went silent around Tayuya and Shikamaru as they turned around to behold the person who had been following them on the branches above. It was like the forest felt the tension that fell over the clearing of the path, and the sound of chirping birds and the rustle of wind through leaves died out, as if on cue. The warm sun, which had been shining brightly through the leaves just a second ago, passed behind a thick patch of canopy at that very moment, dipping the three people into a cool shadow.

The two teens regarded the man standing no more than ten meters from them with visible hostility, the muscles in their bodies tensing in preparation for whatever would come. The man was tall, at least five hand widths taller than either of them, and visibly muscular. He was wearing a pair of dark pants with plenty of visible pockets, and a black, hooded jacket. As he reached his long arms up and pulled back the hood, the man revealed short, dark hair and crimson orbs set deep in a pale, chiseled face. A large object was strapped diagonally to his back, wrapped in dark red cloth and pale strips of bandages.

Shikamaru stared at the man, his mind analyzing the situation that they suddenly found themselves in. The man standing in front of them was most likely an enemy, which meant that they were in trouble. The small forest, near the large stone wall of the village, was one of the remotest places within Konoha's walls, so there was little chance of receiving help. He reasoned that they would have to wait, see what the man's intentions were, and then take it from there. Still, he had a very bad feeling about the whole situation.

Tayuya cursed herself for not having realized it sooner. She had felt the same thing so innumerably many times before, and yet this time she had not realized until it was too late. It was now perfectly clear to her why she had felt like she was being watched, why she had felt that annoying, unexplainable prickling sensation in the back of her neck. Her shinobi senses had picked up what she herself had failed to react on, and now she had gotten both herself and perhaps the only person she really cared about into trouble.

Tayuya had no illusions as to what this person wanted. Even without any visible signs on the man's clothes, she knew as if on instinct that he had something to do with the Sound Village. This would then mean that he was sent to Konoha by her former master. Her fingers clenched the metal flute in her hand tighter, and her eyes narrowed as she stared at the man in front of her. She did not want to go back. There was nothing left for her back in the service of Orochimaru, only pain and death. It was not something she wanted to go back to.

The man shifted himself, changing his weight casually from one foot to the other as he turned to face the two teens fully. A smirk spread across his thin lips as he noticed both teenagers flinching at his move, their bodies indicating that they were ready to drop into combat stance at a moment's notice. His smile showed sharp, white teeth as he opened his mouth, his eyes on the red-haired girl as he spoke.

"Long time no see, Tayuya." The man's voice was calm and easy as the words passed his thin, smiling lips. Tayuya could hear the confidence tainting his voice; his fighting prowess was clearly superior to both herself and Shikamaru, even combined, and the man knew this. He was on a completely different level of skill than them, which was why he could allow himself to be so relaxed. Tayuya gritted her teeth in frustration.

"Who the fuck are you?" She ground the question from between her teeth, even though it didn't really matter, because she already knew why this person was here. The only reason why someone like him could be here would be to bring her back to her former master. Inside, she bitterly cursed the fucking Snake bastard for sending someone like this after her. She had been clinging to some small hope that she would be able to start her life all over again here in this village, away from everything that she loathed in the Sound Village. But it was not to be. The man standing in front of her now, smiling at her, was living proof of the futility of her dream.

She thought she saw his smile fade by the smallest of fractions, as if he was disappointed at her. He looked straight at her, his eyes surveying her. "You don't remember me?" Was she hearing things, or was there a hint of hurt in his voice? Tayuya arched an eyebrow as she looked at the man, scrutinizing him up and down. She had certainly not seen anyone looking even remotely like him around in the Sound Village, yet there was something with him that made a match inside Tayuya's head. She just couldn't figure out where she had met him before. There more she stared at the tall man, the more she realized that his short, ruffled, black hair and angular, strong face were familiar, she just couldn't place them in the context of her long and painful past. It annoyed her, because she felt there was something significant that she should have realized by this moment, some sliver of reminiscence that kept eluding her.

"No matter, then," the black-haired man said calmly, some of the previous confidence returning to his smile once again. His irritatingly composed smile really set Tayuya's nerves on edge, and from the tone of his voice she knew that the shit was about to hit the proverbial fan. "Lord Orochimaru has requested your presence back home in Otogakure, as he misses you dearly." the man added with a small smirk. Tayuya snarled under her breath; she had known it all along. That bastard Orochimaru wanted her back, just so he could make a sick show of her in front of the whole village. He would use her as an example to what happened to those who failed him, as well as ensure that she did not spill all the secrets she carried within her privileged skull. That was certainly not how she wanted to die. She would not go back, not while there was still a breath of life left in her fucking body.

"Fuck you," Tayuya snarled, glaring defiantly at the man. "I'm not going back, so you can tell Orochimaru to go fuck himself, or better yet, let the fucking Uchiha faggot do it." Despite her brave words, Shikamaru could see that she was visibly trembling. He too was aware of the fact that they were both painfully inferior to this stranger, and that their best bet would be to play for time. The longer they could keep him occupied with talking, the greater was the chance of someone discovering them and coming to their rescue.

As if reading his thoughts, the man spoke up again. He shrugged his shoulders, as he gave them a sincere, almost apologetic look. "Normally I'd be nice and give you a minute to say goodbye to your friend, Tayuya. But my presence here in this village can't be hidden for much longer at this point, so we need to go. Now!" As he said the last word, the man began approaching them slowly, clearly intending to bring Tayuya with him despite her unwillingness to come along, by brute force if necessary.

Tayuya bared her teeth in a snarl, as she took a step backwards. "I said I'm not going back!" she yelled, and Shikamaru was sure he could hear a hint of fright in her voice. She was scared, he realized. She was terrified of going back, and he could well understand her. He would not let this man take her to Orochimaru, superior fighting prowess or not. He shifted himself to the side, stepping between Tayuya and the approaching man. The dark-haired man simply smiled, seemingly amused by their show of defiance.

They were out of time, Shikamaru realized. There would be no more talking or diplomacy, if there had ever been any up to now. The outcome would now be decided in battle, and in his mind he had already prepared for the possibility with several courses of action. His hands flashed as he quickly formed several hand seals. Chakra built up in his chest, before he released it into the shadow around his feet. The silhouette thickened, darkened and warped as he pumped chakra into it, before Shikamaru with a willing thought sent it hurtling forward towards the aggressor. His hope was that he could either trap the man or force him backwards. Range, as well as his own intellect, was the key factor of Shikamaru's battle strategy, and he hoped his opponent did not favor ranged combat as well.

In response to the black shadow shooting forward towards him, the man simply reached back and grabbed the long object on his back. As his fingers wrapped around a hilt almost the length of his arm, it seemed to respond. The white bandages and the crimson cloth appeared to almost throw themselves away, revealing a truly massive sword. From what Shikamaru could tell from this distance, the blade was at least as tall as the man himself. It resembled a large broadsword, with a long hilt and no guard, the dark metal glinting menacingly in the weak light. But the feature that really Shikamaru's eye the most was an opening in the center of the blade, which ran down almost the entire length of the sword, effectively splitting the large blade in two. The form reminded Shikamaru somewhat of a massive, sharpened tuning fork, and he almost thought he could see sparks of chakra playing between the two halves of the sword.

As Shikamaru's shadow approached rapidly, the man simply smiled calmly, apparently fully unfazed by the young Nara's technique. Just before the manipulated shadow hit his own, he swung the sword forward, plunging it vertically down into the tip of Shikamaru's shadow. The effect was immediate and unexpected to the young boy. Shikamaru reeled back, feeling something stabbing at his nerves, as if small needles had been plunged into his skin. As he watched, the shadow he had manipulated dissolved in upon itself, returning to its original form around his feet.

Shikamaru's eyes widened in realization, as it slowly dawned on him what had just happened. The workings of the enemy's massive sword were suddenly horribly clear to him. It basically functioned as a massive storage of chakra, possibly holding more than the wielder itself was capable of. When the metal blade had hit his shadow, Shikamaru's technique had simply been overwhelmed by the amount of chakra. The stinging sensation he had felt was probably just the backlash of the overpowering wave of chakra that had disintegrated his shadow technique.

Tayuya gritted her teeth as she witnessed how easily Shikamaru's shadow jutsu had been defeated. It was a vexing sensation that fluttered within her at that moment, because she herself had struggled so much against the very same technique just a few months ago. She had almost lost to it, and now this guy seemed capable of nullifying it completely with just a simple movement. Again, the feeling of hopelessness fell over Tayuya as she recognized how wide the gap in power between them truly was. With a bitter shake of her head, she pushed the somber thoughts away. It didn't matter. Even if it was hopeless, she would not go down without a fight. She would rather fight and die than be taken back to Orochimaru without a struggle.

Bringing her hand up, Tayuya put the tip of her thumb between her teeth and bit down hard. A small spike of flaring pain surged through her hand as the end of her finger was bit clean off, but she ignored it, long accustomed to the cons of summoning. With blood flowing freely from her wounded finger, Tayuya brought her hand down to the ground, chakra streaming through her body in a roaring flood. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)!" she yelled, as symbols the colour of fresh blood formed around her hand.

The world exploded in white smoke around Tayuya, and she allowed a tiny smile to crease her lips. She could feel their presence, even if she could not yet see the creatures she had just summoned. It was a reassuring feeling, sensing the many hundred kilos of muscle backing her up. As the thick smoke slowly cleared, the beasts at her disposal became visible. They were tall and massively muscular, more than three times Tayuya's own height and at least five times her width. Their skin was pale and lifeless, their clothes dark and dull. Around the waist each of the three demons wore a purple ass-bow, a sign of loyalty to the Snake-Sannin of the Sound Village, the same sign that Tayuya had carried just a few months ago. It was a bit ironic, Tayuya thought with a small, humourless smile.

Out of the corner of her eye, Tayuya could see Shikamaru taking a step backward, almost instinctively, as the Doki came into existence. She couldn't really blame him; he had fought against her demon summons before, and he knew very well what destruction they were capable of. But this time, they were on the same side, and she was sure that Shikamaru was glad for the fact.

There was a moment of silence as the opponents stood across from each other, eyes meeting, daring each other to make the first move. The man stood with his sword lifted, the long hilt settled against his lower arm, balancing the weight of the huge blade. His eyes were still calm, his smile relaxed. The Doki stood in stark contrast, their muscular chests heaving slightly with every breath and their arms twitching dangerously, their entire beings filled with a barely restrained lust for wanton destruction. The lack of input from their master was the only thing preventing them from releasing carnage upon their closest surroundings.

A soft gust of wind blew through the forest, shaking the branches of the trees above them. It was as if it was a sign to begin, for immediately the three shinobi went into action. Tayuya brought her flute to her lips, her lungs breathing life into the instrument, and suddenly the Doki were released. The first one, a massively strong demon with long, ashen hair covering its face, leapt forward as the haunting notes from Tayuya's flute reached its ears, a huge spiked club in its hands. The Doki swung the great weapon horizontally towards its opponent, but the man was faster. Taking two steps forward, he struck with speed that belied the massive size of his weapon, and the arms of the Doki careened into a nearby tree, its hands still clutching the spiked club. Smiling calmly, the man reversed his grip on the sword, cutting the Doki in two at the waist with a backhanded slash.

Even as the first Doki exploded into white smoke and faded from existence, the other two charged forward, urged on by the melody from their mistress' instrument. The man moved to meet them without blinking, taking them both on in stride. One of the Doki, with wickedly sharp blades fitted to its lower arms, struck blow after blow towards its smaller opponent, but the man blocked or dodged every single one. The Doki might be stronger than most opponents, and they were certainly fast, but yet they were as nothing against the superior technique and fighting skill of the swordsman. Tayuya's music urged on every strike of the Doki's sharp claws, but even she could not keep up with the speed of the enemy shinobi, and she knew it was only a matter of seconds before she would lose. Sensing an opening, the man proved her correct, and the huge demon's head suddenly sailed through the air, black braids flailing desperately. The body burst into snow-coloured smoke before its head had even hit the ground.

Without breaking stride as he ran forward, the man lurched sideways, dodging a black tentacle that Shikamaru had aimed for his feet and swung his massive blade at the shadow. Shikamaru changed the direction of the manipulated shadow, keeping out of range from the blade, but the swordsman had another surprise up his dark grey sleeve. Chakra flowed from between the two halves of the sword in a wave, effectively increasing the length of the blade. The chakra blade decapitated the shadow, which disintegrated, and scored a deep gouge in the forest ground. Shikamaru winced as his shadow disappeared again, feeling the backlash of chakra washing through him. His mind desperately worked on a new idea to capture the man in his shadow. He seemed to have no openings whatsoever.

Only a single Doki now stood between the man and his target, and he charged forward relentlessly, meeting the armless Doki with the same calm smirk on his lips. The demon lifted its leg, trying in vain to kick its opponent, but the swordsman was too fast. He sidestepped the kick easily and then brought his blade down with both hands, splitting the beast in two from head to groin. Not missing a step, he leapt between the two halves of the Doki, even as the body of the summoned beast left the mortal plane.

He was right in front of her, Tayuya realized too late. She tried taking a step backwards, but he was already upon her. The blade came down in a cruel arch, and Tayuya thought for a moment that he was going to kill her on the spot. But the hope of an easy death left her, as the tip of the blade merely split her flute in two between her hands. Dropping the now useless instrument, Tayuya yelled in fury and desperation, bringing her fist back to punch him. Even without her primary weapon, she would not go down without a fight. But again, the swordsman was faster. His hand flashed forward, and Tayuya did not realize where he was aiming until she felt his fingers squeeze down on her still-healing shoulder.

Tayuya screamed out in terrible pain as the man clenched her shoulder hard in his hand, white-hot lances of burning pain stabbing through her wounded flesh, obliterating all other thoughts from her mind. Her strength drained from her as if someone had pulled a drainage plug inside her body, and she slumped weakly to her knees. The pain was overwhelming, shattering every sentient thought in her mind. All she wanted was for the agony to stop. After what felt like an eternity, the man finally let go of her healing shoulder, allowing Tayuya to fall forward on her hands and knees in the grass. Her mind was dazed and unfocussed, numb from the pain, and she was only somewhat aware of herself vomiting weakly, spilling the contents of her stomach onto the green carpet beneath her.

Shikamaru's ire rose within him as he heard the cry of pain erupting from Tayuya, and watched her fall to her knees as the tall man applied pressure to her shoulder. He was squeezing down in the exact spot where Tayuya's unhealed wound was, and her agonized shriek was enough to tell Shikamaru of the pain that she was feeling now. Anger boiled up in him, raw and hot, like molten metal flooding rapidly through his veins. Any notions of strategy or tactical thinking were washed away by the fury he felt from the sight of seeing the girl he cared for in pain. All he wanted was to stop the man, no matter what. Clenching his fist, Shikamaru broke into a run, charging straight towards the man from the side. _This must be what it feels like to be Naruto_, a small voice in Shikamaru's head offered, and Shikamaru had to agree. Charging blindly towards an enemy was definitely the loudmouth blonde's forte, but Shikamaru simply couldn't help himself.

Within moments, Shikamaru had reached the red-haired girl and her attacker, who was still standing over her, watching her calmly as she panted heavily for her breath on the ground, apparently still dazed from the pain that had been brought upon her. The young Nara pulled his fist back, preparing to give the tall figure the best shot he had. But again, the enemy swordsman was faster. The man spun around deftly with a reverse kick, the heel of his dark boot catching Shikamaru square in the lower chest. A strangled, breathless sound left his lips as the air was knocked out of him, the force of the kick throwing him backwards over the ground. Shikamaru rolled head over heels across the green grass, before his short journey ended as his back hit a large oak tree standing in his way.

Shikamaru cried out in pain as his back slammed hard against the solid tree, sharp pain stabbing into his upper torso, burning like molten iron inside him. He tried shifting his body, but this only resulted in more agony lancing through him, making his vision blur and swim dangerously. The force of the kick, combined with him hitting the tree, had probably broken something, he realized now. Most likely, one or more of his ribs were broken. Despair gripped him, as he tried moving again, only resulting in more pain rushing through his torso. Shikamaru gritted his teeth against the stabbing pain, before a shadow fell over him, and all thoughts of pain left him.

Shikamaru raised his eyes, to look at the person standing above him. The man was standing before him, looking down at him with an unreadable expression in his crimson orbs. Shikamaru had expected the man to look triumphant, but his face was expressionless. Behind him, Shikamaru could see Tayuya shakily pushing herself to her feet. Her expression was one of pain, her eyes desperate. It pained him to see her like this. This was not how he had wanted things to turn out. He had thought that he could protect her from her former life, but it seemed he had been painfully wrong.

- - - - -

Katsu stared down at the young boy sitting in the grass before him, back against the large tree he had been thrown against. He couldn't have been more than thirteen, maybe fourteen, Katsu thought with sadness, although he was far too experienced to show it. He had never enjoyed fighting kids, and even less killing them. But what could he do? He had been ordered by his master to bring Tayuya back to him, and this brat was in his way, threatening his mission. He had no choice but to neutralize him.

"I'm sorry, kid," he said, genuine regret in his voice. The boy looked puzzled, staring up at him with confused eyes. Katsu steeled himself, his fingers clenching almost painfully around the blade in his hand. "I didn't want to do this, but I'm in a hurry, and you're hindering my mission." As soon as those words had left his lips, he lifted the massive blade, its length almost as great as his own body. Behind him, he was half aware of the red-haired girl screaming something, possibly a name. He paid it no heed. All that mattered was to complete his mission. Gritting his teeth in frustration, he stabbed down, into the boy's exposed side. It wouldn't kill him immediately, but it would prevent him from posing any more trouble, and that was all that Katsu wanted.

- - - - -

Shikamaru's side exploded in white-hot pain as the sharp blade cut into his flesh, sliding through him like a warm knife through butter. The metal was withdrawn almost as quickly as it had been stabbed inside, leaving a long gash in Shikamaru's side. He could feel warm blood beginning to flow out immediately, his life-giving liquid flooding out and staining his clothes and the grass beneath him. He stared down at the crimson fluid gushing and pumping out from the wound, his breathing laboured from the pain. He was only somewhat aware of Tayuya running towards them, her panicked voice screaming his name over and over. He raised his head, his eyes meeting her chestnut orbs, and there were tears in her eyes.

He wanted to comfort her, to tell her that everything would be fine, that he would not die. All he wanted was to get up and continue fighting for her. But he had no strength left in him. His body felt strange, as if it would not listen to what his brain said. It was almost like it was not his own body, like it was someone else's. All he could feel was the dull pain washing over him from his ruptured side, and the encroaching darkness, enveloping him from the edges of his vision, and he knew he was losing consciousness fast from the blood loss.

As the seconds passed, it was as if the world slowed down around him. Tayuya was still running towards him, her beautiful brown eyes filled with fear and desperation, but her steps were sluggish, and her voice sounded heavy and far away. The tall man turned away from Shikamaru and began walking away. As the red-haired girl passed him, he seized her upper arm, holding her limb in a vice-grip as he continued walking away. She was so close to him, and yet so far away. He could see her panicked chestnut eyes so clearly, could see every heavy, salty tear running down her flushed, red cheeks, could see the way her crimson hair waved with motion as she tried to reach him.

As the man pulled her mercilessly, unyieldingly away, Tayuya reached out her hand for Shikamaru, her fingers trying in vain to reach him, to touch him. Her fingers clawed desperately in mid-air, her finger nails scraping at nothing, waving before his eyes, but to no avail as she was cold-heartedly pulled away from him. He wanted to reach out, to take her hand in his and not let go. He wanted to entwine his fingers with hers, but he had no strength left in his rapidly draining body to lift his arm to hers. He was forced to sit on the cold ground, his vision swimming and blurring as he watched the girl he cared about, the girl he _loved_, being taken away from him.

His wound was still bleeding heavily, his warm blood leaking profusely out into the grass, and the blood loss was causing his consciousness to slip away from him. _So this is it, huh?_ he thought as the darkness finally overwhelmed him. As Nara Shikamaru lost consciousness and fell slowly into the painless darkness of sleep, the last thing he recognized was Tayuya's voice, desperately screaming his name over and over again.

**To Be Continued…**

Wow. I actually got kind of depressed writing the end of this chapter. I guess I feel sorry for Shikamaru. Hopefully he will make it through :-P

Anyway, that's the big Twenty-Oh finished, time to get back to my exam preparations, and hopefully gather some ideas for the next chapter at the same time.

Until next time!

Haraio


	21. Chapter 21: The Chase Begins

Well everyone, here I am again, to bring you the 21st chapter of New Life of the Sound Demon. Exams are over and I am now on my summer break, so I've finally had the time to finish this chapter. This chapter is a bit short, but that's mainly because this is more of a lead-up chapter to the next one, which will have some actions, drama and some twisting revelations.

Once again, I want to extend gratitude to all of you who still follow this fanfic, despite the slow updates. You are the ones who make this possible, and keep me motivated to see this story through to the very end. I also want to thank my girlfriend Natasja for being my faithful proof-reader. On the 20th of June, we will be celebrating our 4th year together, and I think it's quite a feat from her to stick together with me for so long :-P

Disclaimer: I still don't own Naruto. If I did, what I'm writing here would be canon :-D

**Chapter 21: The Chase Begins**

The darkness was complete and all-consuming, as if life itself had decided to draw the curtains down around him. Nara Shikamaru could feel his flesh, his body, aching with short, severe stabs of pain, but it was as if the sensation was dulled. It didn't feel like it was his body at all. Shikamaru was just a spectator, passively viewing the pain of his injuries from somewhere beyond the limits of his bodily senses.

_What is going on? _The words reverberated dully through his head, as he fought to find some sort of anchorage, a place to begin. There was a soft humming around him, muffled and distorted as if heard through water. His mind reached for it, grasping at the dulled sound, but it was like trying to grab mist with his hands. His hands... he couldn't feel them. He couldn't feel any part of his body clearly. _Am I dead?_ The thought was frightening, and he refused to pay it any more heed. If he was dead, he wouldn't have been able to think, right?

Another stab of dull pain surged through him, but this time it was different. He felt it in a more pronounced way, like the sharp sting of a needle. It was not far away and dulled like before. The pain was pointed, lucid, _human_. Desperately, he reached for the sensation, doing his best to locate the origin of the pain. Now he could feel what he believed was his left arm, his limb feeling numb and weak still. Shikamaru didn't care. At least he could now feel _something_.

There were voices around him, Shikamaru realized now, his brain finally somewhat capable of deciphering the muted sounds he had been hearing the whole time. He strained his mind, doing his outmost to try and make the sounds clearer, and slowly they became more recognizable. Gradually, the darkness enveloping him became lighter, and he thought he could feel light on his face.

Shikamaru forced his eyelids to open. They felt heavy, like he was lifting several kilos with each as he opened his eyes. Bright light struck him in the face, and he squinted his eyes against the sharp, stabbing illumination that assaulted his vision. His eyes clearing, Shikamaru stared up into a pristine, white ceiling, studded with bright ceiling lights. Everything was so bright around him, seeming even more so after having closed his eyes for so long. The air around him felt scentless and sterile, and there was a low, incessant buzz of machines working. It took a few moments before he realized where he was. He was lying in a hospital bed, under immaculate white covers.

The voices around him were clearer now, familiar enough for him to recognize them. There were two female voices, clearly in a discussion about some matter. Tilting his head slightly, he located the owners of the voices he was hearing. A tall woman was standing with her back to him, her long, blonde hair pulled into a knot and a green jacket covering her upper body. Behind her, he could see another woman, short, black hair framing a young face twisted in concern.

The younger woman's eyes suddenly swept over him, and he could see a mixture of relief and surprise blossoming over her face at that very moment. "Tsunade-sama, he's conscious!" she exclaimed, and the other woman turned around immediately, a visible wave of relief washing over her features as she realized that he had regained consciousness. "Shikamaru! Thank goodness you're awake!" The Hokage said with a relieved smile, as she moved to the side of the bed, checking some instruments on the large, beeping machine standing next to it.

"What's going on?" Shikamaru mumbled dumbly, his mind still dazed and confused from being unconscious. The Hokage gave him a worried look, as she stood up straight and walked over to a sink on the wall. "Well, I was kind of hoping you could tell us, Shikamaru," she replied, her back towards him as she washed her hands, the running water buzzing strangely loud in Shikamaru's ears. "Maito Gai and Rock Lee found you, heavily bleeding and unconscious, on their umpteenth morning run around the village, and they brought you here," The Hokage said as she turned back to face Shikamaru, a small, humourless smile on her lips as she mentioned the two training enthusiasts. Her smile dropped, however, as she continued. "We have been spending the good part of an hour trying to stabilize your condition."

Shikamaru's mind quickly processed the information he was given by the Hokage, his brain gradually piecing together what had happened after he had lost consciousness. But there was as if there was something missing. He twisted his mind for the answer, his mouth looking for the word. If he had been out for an hour or two, then that would mean... "Tayuya," he mumbled the word from the out of nowhere.

It was as if everything suddenly fell back into place, with the final missing piece completing the mental puzzle. Shikamaru's mind snapped back into focus, and his eyes widened as he remembered everything that had happened. Instinctively, he pushed down with his arms, trying to get up, but Shizune was on him almost immediately. The younger, dark-haired woman forced him down, firmly but gently, her serious expression letting him know that he was not allowed to get up at the moment.

"Tayuya! I have to go after her!" Shikamaru exclaimed, his voice alarmed as he lifted his hands to the dark-haired woman's shoulders, intending to push her away. But as his eyes fell upon his arm, the sight gave him pause. There were marks on his arms, small signs that he recognized, having seen them before. He had been connected to all the machines around him, meaning his condition had been really serious. The sudden realization hit him like a four-storey fall; he had almost died. He had been so close to passing away. The last time he had felt this way, was when he had fought the redhead he now wanted to go and save. The irony tasted bitterly in his mouth.

Tsunade looked upon him with a worried expression painted across her features, as Shizune gently pushed him back down on the bed. "Will you now tell us what is going on, Shikamaru?" the older woman said, the tone in her voice indicating that her words were not as much of a question as a direct order.

Shikamaru lifted his hand to his temple, his fingers massaging his skull as it all came back to him. It had all been over so fast, and he looked wearily at the Hokage as he tried to put words on the confusion that reigned in his head. "There was a man with a large sword," he began, and noticed the Hokage's interest piquing at his words. "He said he was going to bring Tayuya back to the Sound Village, so I guess he was working for Orochimaru. We tried to fight him, but he was too strong," Shikamaru finished, his words trailing off, and he lowered his head to stare down at his own hands. He hadn't been strong enough to help Tayuya, and now she was going back to all that she feared. He knew that there would be no gentle fate that awaited her, and he felt hate and self-loathing burn in his chest, sensations he had rarely ever felt so strongly.

"I have to go after her," he said, lifting his eyes to meet the gaze of the blonde Hokage, his expression imploring her to help him. His heart sank as she shook her head slowly, sadness written over her features. "I'm sorry Shikamaru, but you can't go after her in your condition. You are in no shape to fight one of Orochimaru's slaves on your own. You'll die for no reason."

"It doesn't matter," Shikamaru insisted stubbornly, as he sat up slowly on the bed and swung his legs over the edge. The dark-haired woman moved to stop him, but Shikamaru waved her aside with an irritated motion of his hand. The younger woman looked to her mentor for any order to restrain the young chuunin, but the Hokage simply watched him silently, her expression clearly conflicted. "I'm going after her, and you can just try and stop me."

As he began looking around the room for his clothes, he could hear the Hokage sighing softly behind him. He ignored it, his eyes finally locating his clothes on a nearby chair. His shirt came on, the side of the dark garment still caked with layers of dried blood. Flakes of crimson came loose as he put it on, and scattered over the pristine hospital floor. His pants were worn too; they as well covered in his own dried blood. Finally, he turned to face the Hokage again, dressed and with determination set fiercely in his eyes.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"I said let me go, you fucking shit!"

Birds scattered from branches within a distance of fifty meters, as an angry scream tore apart the tranquillity of the forest. Above the ground, a tall man was bounding from branch to branch with ease, even with the struggling burden he was carrying under his arm. He held Tayuya securely in his grip, her arms pinned to her body, leaving her no room to move them. In the beginning, she had attempted to kick him, but the way he held her left her legs out of reach of any meaningful part of his body. Now she had resorted to butting her head against his stomach, though it seemed to have no discernable effect on the tall, muscular man.

Below her, the ground was rushing past steadily, as the man effortlessly traversed the forest, leaping from branch to branch like an oversized squirrel. Tayuya was getting increasingly frustrated and desperate as the man carried her further and further away from the relative safety of the village she had stayed in for the past few months. Worst of all, no matter how much she screamed or struggled, he seemed to pay her no attention, his attention dedicated fully to where he was going. She hit her head against his stomach again, but only felt hard-packed muscles. Seriously, what was this guy made of? Steel? He didn't react at all, no matter how hard she hit her skull against his stomach. It was pointless, she realized slowly, ceasing her fruitless struggles.

No longer occupied with fighting against her kidnapper, Tayuya's mind wandered to the person she had left behind, bleeding in the grass. She wondered if Shikamaru was okay, whether he was still alive or not. She hoped he was alive. He was the only person who had cared for her so far throughout her pain-filled life, and she didn't know what she would do without him. _You love him_, a voice in her mind whispered, and for once she did not reprimand herself for thinking that way. She knew it instinctively to be true; she really did love him. Why had it taken so long for her to come to this realization? Why did she have to be torn away from him to finally make the connection?

Either way, there was nothing she could do about it now. Even if Shikamaru had survived the wound he had received from the man carrying her, she doubted her would be able to come after her. She also had no illusion that Konoha would send anyone after her. After all, she was just a former prisoner, not one of their own. She was most likely not worth the risk.

Tayuya knew what would happen when she was returned to her former master. If she was lucky and Orochimaru was in a good mood, she would face a quick and merciful death. If not, there would be a lengthy and exquisitely painful torture in store for her. She had seen it happen before, and she did not look forward to it. Now that she had seen that the world did not consist of only pain, it just made the fate ahead of her seem that much more terrible. She would've prayed to whatever higher deity that ruled above for a miracle, but in reality she had already given up hope of avoiding her final fate. There was simply no plausible way to escape it.

Tayuya was so caught up in her own thoughts, that at first she did not notice that the man carrying her was now talking to her. "Hey, are you awake?" he asked and rustled her a bit, seeing as she had stopped both struggling and shouting at him. Tayuya looked up with a surprised face, to find her kidnapper looking down at her with an annoyingly cheerful smile. Immediately, a scowl came over her face, and she glared icily up at him.

"What the fuck is your problem, asshole?" she snapped angrily, not at all happy with being shaken like a bag of potatoes. To her chagrin, the only response she got to her angry outburst was a mirthful smirk from the man, before he lifted his eyes from her, to stare ahead in the direction they were going. Angry from being ignored, Tayuya huffed and lowered her gaze again, contending herself with watching the ground rush past beneath them.

"So you really don't remember me, huh?" Tayuya's eyes ascended again, to find the man looking at her from the corner of his ruby eyes. She narrowed her eyes as she looked more closely at his face. There was a feeling of familiarity, to be sure, but she stood no chance of being able to place it into a context. Over the cause of her rather short life, she had seen thousands of faces, and the man could be any one of those.

One thing she knew for sure was that she had not seen him in the Sound Village. That fact left her with two options as to why he was in the employment of Orochimaru. Either he was a trump card, so powerful that not even the elite of the Sound Five knew of his existence, or he was a replacement for them, having been employed after the Sound Five had been eradicated by the Konoha shinobi. Tayuya wasn't sure which option she preferred. Either way, it was impossible to ignore that this man was strong, which made her inability to remember him only more infuriating.

"I already told you I don't fucking remember you," Tayuya snarled, venting her growing frustration and anger on the man carrying her. He didn't seem perturbed in the slightest by her foul language, though Tayuya thought she could feel him tensing at the words she spoke, rather than the tone of her voice. "I see." Tayuya blinked her eyes; there was that slight tone of disappointment again. Why was he so insistent on whether she remembered him or not? It made her curious, and the young girl twisted her mind harder, trying to dig up his face from the stinking pile of memories that was her life.

"You know, it doesn't have to end when we reach the Sound Village." Tayuya looked at him again, a perplexed expression in her chestnut eyes. "What do you mean?" This time he turned his head to look at her with his ruby orbs, and a smirk played across his thin lips. For some reason, it made her hairs stand on edge.

"What I'm saying is that I'm one of the strongest subordinates of Lord Orochimaru," Tayuya didn't know what to think about his words; in her experience, people who spoke highly of their own strength was usually those who tried to appear stronger than they were. Whether this applied in this case, she wasn't yet sure of. "And," the man continued, "if I suggest to Lord Orochimaru that you're useful to me alive, he'll consider it."

Tayuya didn't like the arrogant confidence in his voice, not one bit. "And what's in it for you?" She had her suspicions as to what he would want in return. Too many people in her past had demanded or taken her body as payment for favours or services, and she had little doubt that he would be just like the rest of them. Either way, she doubted someone like him, no matter how strong, would have any significant influence on Orochimaru.

To her surprise, his arrogant smirk softened, and he smiled a sincere smile. "I remember the day I saved you," he said, ignoring her question completely. "There was a special connection that day. Fate led us to meet again, Tayuya," he added, his pupils dilating slightly as he spoke. Okay, now he was creeping her out. And she still couldn't remember him.

Closing her eyes, Tayuya worked her mind as hard as she could, trying to remember where she had met him before. He had claimed that he had saved her, which helped her narrow down the memories in her mind. Tayuya hated delving into her own past, preferring instead to live in the now. There was nothing for her in the past, only pain, humiliation and more pain.

Slowly, the incident came back to her. It was long ago, before she had come into the service of Orochimaru, so far back that she could hardly recollect it at all. Two thugs had been trying to rape her, to let their hands and eyes feast on her naked flesh. Tayuya could remember running, her feet moving as fast as they possibly could to escape those who would bring her pain again. Then, all she could remember was blood, lots of blood. Another man, _this man_, had appeared and killed the two thugs, spilling their filthy blood over the forest trail. And then...then...

Tayuya's chestnut eyes widened in horrid realization, as it all suddenly came back to her. He had raped her too. After killing those who had tried to debase her, he had done the same thing himself. She could recollect the pain as he entered her, the feeling of her finger nails clawing hopelessly at his chest, the tears of pain flowing down her cheeks. Her mind reeled at the realization that the man who was carrying her was the same person from long time ago.

Tayuya wanted to scream. Her mind rebelled against her, panic overtaking her as she realized someone who had hurt her so terribly was now holding her, restraining her. Her muscles seized listening, no matter how much she wanted to struggle against the grip that held her. To Tayuya's great terror, she felt completely powerless. The only thing she could do was cry. Salty tears ran silently down her cheeks, as the past flooded back to embrace her in a painful grip.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Look, Shikamaru," the Hokage spoke, both her expression and the tone of her voice witnessing of the fact that she was trying her best to be understanding. "Give me an hour and I can get an ANBU team rounded up and deployed to retrieve her," she continued, doing her best to get across how hopeless the situation was at the moment. Most of the ANBU at the Village's disposal were away on missions, and those who were left were needed as a safeguard for the Village. As much as she wanted to help the boy and the red-haired girl, there was no reasonable way she could put the safety of the Village at risk.

Shikamaru shook his head, fully aware that there wouldn't be enough time for that. "By that time, it will be too late already, Hokage-sama," Shikamaru said as he faced the two women stubbornly, doing his best to keep his voice calm. It required a substantial effort right now, seeing as every moment he lingered Tayuya was taken further and further away from him. He was getting increasingly frustrated with their unwillingness to let him leave.

"Shikamaru, please reconsider," The Hokage insisted, her eyes locked on his as she approached him, once again making him aware of her imposing height. She stood tall before him, looking down at him with an imploring expression on her deceptively young face. "For all you know, she could well have already-"

Shikamaru had had enough with this conversation. Something in his mind finally decided that enough was enough, and his gaze became fierce as he glared at the Hokage. "She is not a traitor!" He had not meant to raise his voice, and he could see that the blonde woman was taken aback by his suddenly flaring anger. His ire dissipating as rapidly as it had exploded, he closed his eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry," he apologized to the Hokage, as he began walking towards the door. Tsunade stepped aside, allowing him to pass, though her worried eyes followed him. "I know that she won't betray me. I trust her fully and completely, and now she needs me. I can't just sit still and let her be taken away," Shikamaru said, and Tsunade could see her assistant nodding her head slightly in approval of his words, though her expression too was worried.

She understood him so well. She had lost people she loved, and she knew she too would have done anything in her powers to save them. She took a step forward, towards the young boy, hoping that he would listen to her. "Shikamaru..." But before she could say anything more, Shikamaru lifted his hand. "Don't," he said simply, without turning to look at her. "I've already made up my mind, Hokage-sama. I'm going." Not saying another word, he opened the door to the room and walked out.

Tsunade sighed heavily as she watched the door close behind the young boy. This reckless behaviour was not like him at all, but she had kind of expected it. She could tell that the young genius felt very strongly for the red-haired girl. _I did silly things when I was in love too_, she reminded herself, as she turned to look at her assistant. "Let's go," Tsunade said, as she opened the door and walked out, Shizune following her closely.

The two women began walking back towards the Hokage Tower, to Tsunade's office, seeing as there was nothing more to do at the hospital now that Shikamaru had already left. As they walked, Tsunade became aware of her assistant looking at her with a curious expression. The blonde Hokage tilted her head slightly, inviting the younger, dark-haired woman to speak her mind.

"That was very unlike the Shikamaru I know," Shizune said, and the Hokage couldn't help but agreeing to her assistant's words. The way he acted, was completely unlike the calm and calculating behaviour the young Nara normally displayed. It reminded her more of Naruto or Rock Lee, both impulsive and rash individuals. "Yeah, he really seems to care for that girl," Tsunade admitted, wondering if the feisty and short-tempered redhead could have a positive effect on the normally lazy and unmotivated boy.

"You already expected that he was going to pursue her on his own, regardless of what you said," Shizune spoke with a small smile on her lips, her words more of a simple statement rather than a question, as she looked at her mentor. The blonde Hokage turned her head and gave her assistant a biting look, but made no effort to deny her intentions as they walked through the street leading up to the Hokage Tower, standing tall in the centre of the Village. "That was why you decided to put them on stand-by," Shizune continued, referring to the message she had been told to deliver on the other side of the village while the young boy had still been unconscious.

Tsunade didn't answer immediately. They walked in silence for a minute, until they reached the Hokage's office at the top of the tower. As the door to the office closed, Shizune remained standing by the door, while Tsunade walked slowly over to her desk.

"You're right, Shizune. I will not let him go alone," The Hokage said at last, wearily, as she sat down in her chair. Even if he hadn't been already injured, she did not want Shikamaru to go after Tayuya on his own. Her hand went to her head, and she rubbed her temple slowly, massaging what she knew was an approaching headache. "I just hope they will be able to do this without any losses. Their enemy may be quite strong, and whatever information that girl has, I will not sacrifice any of our precious genin for it," Tsunade continued as she leant back in her chair. Her hope was that with four of them, they should be able to overpower a single enemy without losing anyone. She lowered her gaze, suddenly noticing a paper on the floor, halfway hidden underneath her desk. She must've dropped it there at some point in the past, though she could not remember having done so. Puzzled, she reached down and picked it up, her brown eyes identifying it as an official report...

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Shikamaru roamed quickly through the drawers in his bedroom, finding everything he needed in quick succession. The apartment felt eerily quiet, and only now did he realize how much he had gotten used to having his new companion around. It wasn't to say that she had been noisy all the time, but at least things weren't so boring and silent with the red-haired girl there. He missed her. He really, really missed her.

Having found everything he required for what he was about to do, he begun preparing. His torn, bloodied shirt was discarded, and Shikamaru pulled the bulky leather vest on, wincing slightly in pain as it touched the aching wound in his side. The earlier fight had messed him up bad, but he had no time to let it heal properly. Every moment he dallied, Tayuya was taken further away from him. He was willing to ignore the pain if it meant that he could try and save her from the grisly fate that awaited her in the Sound Village.

Quickly, Shikamaru grabbed his weapon pouch from the shelf near the bottom of the bed. He knew the content of the inconspicuous bag by heart; a dozen kunai, five shuriken, a few explosive tags, a few metres of wire, and half a dozen smoke and flash bombs. He didn't know what he would need to save Tayuya, but it was as good a preparation as any. At least it wouldn't hurt to bring along some equipment, to deal with a variety of situations. In his experience, such simple things could play a huge part in a battle. They definitely had when he had fought Tayuya, enabling him to get the upper hand in an otherwise one-sided fight.

His eyes wandered to the bed as he thought of the redhead. So much had happened in the last hours, which made it seem like it was so long ago since they had made love there on the bed. It had only been last night, when he had learned to know the real Tayuya. The protective layer of the feisty, violent redhead had been slowly peeled away, and he had witnessed the wounded, scared and traumatized girl underneath it all. Now that he knew the real Tayuya, and knew that he loved her, he would not allow her to be taken back to her previous life. He could not let her die.

For a moment Shikamaru closed his eyes, letting darkness once again envelop him. Before his eyes, he could see Tayuya's face. He could see her smooth skin with pink cheeks, often tainted by embarrassment throughout her stay with him. Her chestnut eyes sparkled with energy, and her hair, red like fire, flowing around her facial features and framing her cute face. Her visage was so clear in his mind, it was like she was standing right before him. He almost reached out his hands tentatively, as if to check that she wasn't really there.

Shikamaru opened his eyes once again to take a final look at his, no, _their_ room, he noticed Tayuya's cap lying on top of the drawer. He hadn't really noticed it there before, but he had no doubt that it had been there the whole time. It was like a symbol of what was missing from the apartment, and by extension from his life. He stared at it, a promise forming in his mind. _I will bring your owner back_, he thought, a silent promise to an inanimate object, and to himself.

Having finally done everything he could to prepare himself for the journey ahead, Shikamaru closed the door to the apartment behind him. He had no idea whether he would live to come back and open the door again, but if he did, he would definitely not come back alone. He would save Tayuya, or die trying.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The huge stone gates leading into the Village loomed up before him, their massive size towering over Shikamaru as he approached them over the empty square before them. There were few people around at the moment, and as he looked up at the sky, Shikamaru could understand why. Though the sun was still shining, Shikamaru could see dark clouds gathering on the horizon, incidentally in the direction that he would have to go. He remembered the way they had headed when they were going to save Sasuke, and Shikamaru had no reason to doubt Tayuya would be taken the same way, straight for the Sound Village. He just hoped that this time he would be able to save her.

Taking a deep breath to steel himself for what lay ahead, Shikamaru began walking slowly through the huge gate. He could almost feel the several tons of stone high above him as he walked underneath the arch, the sensation like a huge weight on his shoulders. Tayuya's life was in his hands, and he had to carry that burden alone. His task suddenly felt almost impossible, the journey ahead of him felt incomprehensibly difficult. He was alone. This time, there was no one who would be helping him along. Or so he believed.

"Where do you think you're going on your own?" Shikamaru turned around quickly, startled by the voice that suddenly spoke behind him. Three figures stood in the shadow of the huge stone wall, next to the open gate. As Shikamaru fixed his eyes on them, they began moving, approaching him. Inuzuka Kiba flashed Shikamaru a toothy smile, as the three teens stopped in front of the Nara boy.

"Shizune-san told us you would probably go after your girlfriend," Aburame Shino said in his monotonous voice, his hand moving up to adjust the dark sunglasses that always hid his eyes. Even on a bright, sunny day like this, he was wearing his standard grey trench coat, and Shikamaru idly wondered if he ever felt the heat inside the heavy clothes he wore.

"W-we wanted to help you get her back," Hyuuga Hinata's voice was characteristically soft and timid, but Shikamaru was surprised to see a passionate determination in her pale eyes. The resolute expression on her face was completely at odds with the quiet girl he had usually seen. It was as if he saw the same fierce determination in her as some of their other friends. Shikamaru caught himself speculating who she reminded him of the most at the moment; her cousin Neji or the blonde loudmouth she had a (very obvious) crush on.

Kiba smiled an encouraging smile as he placed his hand on Shikamaru's shoulder. Their eyes met, and the two teens shared a moment of mutual assurance and understanding. They had both been on the mission to save someone important a few months ago, and now they were about to repeat the same procedure. Shikamaru could see it in Kiba's eyes that he was aware of the fact that they might not be as lucky as the last time, and come out with everyone still alive. Shikamaru was willing to put his life on the line to save Tayuya, and he realized that the trio standing before him were equally willing to lay down their life for the mission.

The burden on his shoulders felt substantially lighter all of a sudden, and the task ahead didn't seem impossible anymore. He was no longer alone in his mission to save the girl he loved; he now had people who cared for him, backing him up and lending their strengths to his own. Shikamaru felt empowered by their dedication, and his resolve soared.

"You can't stop us from coming along, Shikamaru," the maroon-haired boy said with a confident grin on his lips, his body language telling Shikamaru that he wouldn't take no for an answer. Shikamaru smiled, and looked over at Hinata and Shino, who looked equally determined. He really appreciated what they were doing. Despite his insistence to go after Tayuya, he doubted he would be able to take on the swordsman alone. He just hoped that he would not lose any of his friends today.

At that moment, standing in front of the gates of Konoha, with the bright sun shining down upon him and the three friends that stood before him, Shikamaru made a promise to himself. He swore he would be a better leader than during the last mission. He would bring Tayuya back, and he would not see his friends gravely wounded like before. He would complete this very important mission, and he was determined to do it flawlessly. Smiling, Shikamaru looked at the trio standing next to him, awaiting his word.

"Let's go save Tayuya."

**To Be Continued...**

Here we go! Time for Shikamaru and his friends to save Tayuya. This chapter marks the beginning of the second half of this fanfic, and I promise more revelations and actions in the next chapter! Until then, take care and be good! :-)

Also, please remember to review! I love reviews! They keep me happy and encouraged to write more :3

Haraio


	22. Chapter 22: Companions

Hey everyone! I'm back with another chapter! :-D

As usual, I did not wish for the delay to be this great. However, life has once again thrown lots of stuff in my way (school being the major culprit) and it took me far too long to finish this chapter. Do not worry, however, as I have dedicated myself to finishing this fanfic, and I intend to do so. By my estimates, we will have some 7-10 chapters more before this story has run its course :-)

Now, without further disturbances, let's get on with the story. This chapter is going to have some action, and some revealing twists :-D As usual, my proofreader and feedback provider for the writing process is none other than my dear girlfriend Natasja :-)

Disclaimer: I do not yet own Naruto

**Chapter 22: Companions**

Tsunade stared at the report in her hand, a growing sense of unease mounting in her chest. The paper trembled slightly between her fingers as she read the words once more, making sure she had actually understood what it said correctly. Three bodies had been dug up and stolen from a hidden, separate grave yard within Konoha, one that was reserved for special cases that had not belonged to the Village. Even the fact that someone knew the location of the graveyard was an unwelcome surprise. She doubted that the bodies stolen were just randomly picked. Tsunade had a sneaking suspicion about the exact identities of the corpses that had been taken, and it made her skin crawl with unease.

It finally dawned on her what the terrifying implications of this report were. If someone had stolen some specific remains located in the graveyard, then this was very bad news indeed. Tsunade was under no illusion that they would be chosen on a whim; whoever had stolen the corpses, would know exactly what he or she was looking for. And that fact made it all the more terrifying, as Tsunade could think of only one person who could have much use for dead bodies.

"Shizune!" Tsunade yelled, and her dark-haired assistant came running at once, her expression nervous. Maybe she was able to sense the unease in her master's voice. If she couldn't, then she would still be able to see it plainly in the older woman's eyes as she stopped before the Hokage's desk. Tsunade took a deep breath before she spoke, her voice low and dead serious, but her unusually quiet tone carried infinitely more weight than any yelling or screaming would ever amount to. "Get me Nakata Hisao, right now."

As Shizune sprinted off to deliver her message with all possible haste, Tsunade stared down at the paper once again. She felt a chill go down her spine at the thought of what could happen, and she prayed that she was somehow wrong about what was going on. If she wasn't, then the situation that Shikamaru and Team 8 found themselves in was suddenly far more dangerous than she or they could have expected.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The five figures moved rapidly through the forest, leaping from branch to branch with practiced skill. They moved near the canopy of the trees, high above the forest floor. Bright rays were still shining down through the thick blanket of leaves in places, but the sunlight was slowly being swallowed by the edge of the dark mass of clouds that were slowly rolling in from the horizon. Ahead of the group, the forest was plunged into deeper shadows, as it was deprived of the mid-day light.

The air around them was heavy, thick and clogging, like just before a heavy rain-fall. Judging from the darkness that was roiling in from the horizon, he could well believe it. The clouds promised rain, and most likely it would start pouring down heavily within scant minutes.

It was kind of fitting, Shikamaru thought to himself, as they moved under the veil of the dark clouds. They were venturing into the darkness, to save the redhead who was being dragged back into the dark void she had just recently escaped from. The dark clouds hung low and heavy above them, and Shikamaru couldn't help but feel the symbolism in the setting they were in. It was the same route they had taken when they were going to save Sasuke. Shikamaru just hoped that they would be more successful in this retrieval mission compared to the last one, even if it seemed the dark, looming clouds above had an air of pessimism and despair around them.

He brushed the thought away, firmly. They would prevail. He would make sure of it. He was not going to allow Tayuya to be taken back to Orochimaru, no matter what. Alone, he had not stood a chance against the man that had kidnapped Tayuya, but this time it would be different. This time, he was aware of what exactly he was facing, and he had people he knew and trusted to back him up if worse came to worse.

They were moving swiftly across the forest, yet always on the lookout for any traps or other measures their target might have deployed to deter and slow them down. Shikamaru had learned a lot from the previous rescue mission, and he was deploying all that he had learned when designing their movement formation. Kiba and Akamaru were the spearhead of the formation, their keen sense of smell making sure they stayed on the right track. Both of them knew the scent of the red-haired girl, so Shikamaru was confident that the two of them would be able to lead the group straight to their target.

Right behind the two was Shino, his grey trench waving with every jump he made. Shikamaru had decided to place him almost at the front, as his insects could cover a wider area on the flanks of the formation, while Kiba and Akamaru focused on the front. Shino had spread his bugs around on both sides of the group, and they were moving like shapeless swarms on either flank, matching the group's pace. If anyone tried to assail them from the sides, Shino would hopefully know of it before the attack struck and give the rest of the group a warning.

Shikamaru was next, keeping to the center of the formation where he, as the makeshift leader, could quickly assess any situation and promptly come up with a counter-measure to any problem that arose. Behind him, Hinata formed the rearguard of their group, her clan's ability to see 360 degrees around her invaluable for making sure that they were not caught from behind by any hidden enemies. It was a simple and straight-forward movement formation, but Shikamaru was confident that they had all their bases covered and that they would be able to deal with just about anything.

Of course, the same thing had been the case the last time, and at that time any plans or rules of engagement had been thrown out the proverbial window as soon as they had come face to face with their enemy. He was aware of it this time, and he felt more prepared to make quick and decisive decisions. After all, coming up with good solutions in the heat of battle were one of his main strengths.

Shikamaru thought back to when he and Tayuya encountered Team 8 for the first time, when she was still in hiding. At that time, he had lied to them about her identity, and he had pressured Kiba to keep quiet about the truth, for Tayuya's own sake. He was not proud of it. It had been necessary at the time, but he had still lied to his friends.

"I'm sorry," Shikamaru said slowly, and at the front of the group, Kiba turned his head to look back at the Chuunin. Shikamaru could sense Hinata's curiousness behind him, and though Shino didn't turn to look at him like Kiba did, he could tell from the Aburame's body language that he had his attention. "I shouldn't have lied to you guys back then." He was fairly sure that they would know which time he was talking about. For a few moments there was silence, broken only by the tapping sound of their shoes leaping from strong branches and the gentle rustle of leaves above them, as a light breeze caught hold of the fresh, green canopy.

Then Shino shrugged. "You did what you had to do," he said, speaking without turning to look back at Shikamaru. "What's done is done, and it can't be changed. All we can do is deal with the consequences." Shikamaru couldn't help but agree with what the other teenager said. He just wished that the consequences would have been different than what they had turned out to be.

"We will help you get her back," Hinata assured him from behind, the determination tainting her usually timid voice making him smile. He could tell that the heir to the Hyuuga clan was fired up, by the fact that she hadn't stammered once since they left the village. "We're all in this together," she continued, and Shikamaru was once again very grateful for having backup. He knew he probably wouldn't be able to beat Tayuya's kidnapper alone, but he would have tried anyway. At least this way he had a chance to survive the fight.

Kiba looked back over his shoulder, his gaze meeting Shikamaru. He smiled an assuring smile at the Nara, as he and Akamaru bounded over the branches at the head of the group. "We won't let the same thing happen twice," he said, and Shikamaru knew what he meant. When they had chased Sasuke, they had all been bogged down in their own, separate fights, ultimately allowing Sasuke to escape into Orochimaru's clutches. Even if they had all survived, the mission had still been a failure. Shikamaru was not prepared to let the same thing happen this time. But that meant they had to hurry, before Tayuya was taken too far away for them to reach.

Shikamaru turned his head to look at Hinata, her white eyes turning to meet him. "Hinata, can you see them?" he asked, and Hinata nodded, before lifting her hand to her face. "Byakugan!" she said, and the veins around her eyes bulged with energy as her pupil become somewhat visible. The ability to see everything in 360 degrees was invaluable on a mission like this, with all the trees hampering conventional sight a bit. After a few seconds, Hinata nodded her head. "I can see them, at the very edge of the limit of my view." Shikamaru had no idea how large Hinata's limit was, but it couldn't possibly be infinite. Her relieved smile confirmed his thought. "We're catching up."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Tsunade stared levelly at the man standing on the floor before her desk. Her brown eyes were serious and stabbed like drills, but the man seemed unfazed by the Hokage's expression. He was short and stout, clearly approaching his fifties. A crown of short, light grey hair was around his temple, and his puffy cheeks were puce around a thick nose and a jaw that seemed slightly too far down on his face. His body was large and broad, packing the substantial girth of someone who loved eating and indulged in that joy often.

Nakata Hisao would never have made a good shinobi, his physical shape and general disposition making him unfit for a life as a warrior. Fortunately, he was blessed with a bright mind and the curiousity of a born scientist, which was the reason he was the head of research in the Village. Sarutobi had appointed him shortly before his untimely death, as far as Tsunade understood, and she had many times approved of the choice. She couldn't think of anyone who fit the position better. But at the moment, she was not in a good mood, and the prospect of replacing the aging scientist was looking more and more positive by the minute.

"May I ask why I have been called here, Hokage-sama?" Hisao asked, with the tone of a man who was used to getting his will, but who also knew when to be compliant. His voice hid barely-restrained irritation and impatience, but Tsunade ignored it. She had her own problems, and she was not in the mood to pay heed to the man's own annoyance.

Tsunade leaned forward, and slid the paper in her hand across her desk. With heavy, slow steps that reminded her of some big, primitive ape, Hisao stepped forward and seized the paper from her desk with thick fingers. As he lifted it up before his ocean-blue eyes, Tsunade spoke. "What exactly is this, Hisao?" she said, forgoing the use of a title to address the man directly.

The head of research glanced at the paper in his hand for a few seconds, his blue eyes quickly taking in the information written on it. Then he raised his gaze, looking at the Hokage with a somewhat puzzled look on his face. "To me, it looks like a report sent to your office some time ago. I hope I was not brought here, away from my important research, simply to inform you of the obvious, Hokage-sama." His voice was dull and monotone, but the slight criticism in his voice was only thinly veiled. Tsunade ignored the crudely hidden insubordination, but made a mental note to deal with the man properly later. At the moment, she needed answers.

"I am capable of reading the paper, Hisao," the Hokage said icily, her tone telling the elderly man that she was in no mood for his sarcasm. He straightened slightly, perhaps realizing that he had stepped way out of bounds with that last comment. "Like the report says, three enemy bodies were removed from the research graveyard a few weeks back. There were no traces of whoever did it, and search parties yielded no results. So I decided to report the incident to you." Hisao relayed the information quickly and concisely, with the practiced fluency of someone used to giving much information in a short time.

"Why did you not come to me with this information, when you received no answer to the report?" Tsunade demanded to know, pointedly refraining from informing the head of research exactly why he had not received any answer to his report. That part didn't really matter; what was important now was that he should have come to her directly with such a grave matter. The middle-aged man lifted his hand slowly and scratched his hairless temple. "Well, seeing as I received no answer to my report, I assumed that it was no big deal," he said. Tsunade gave him an incredulous look, and he showed his palms, offering to explain his reasoning. "Research on the three bodies had already been completed for a week when they were stolen, and the fourth one of the group had been previously handed off to Sunagakure as per your own request."

Tsunade felt her guts turn to ice. There could no longer be any doubt as to which bodies had been removed, and she suddenly knew what was going on. There had been four enemy bodies, but she had offered the Sunagakure research center one, as a show of gratitude for their assistance in the mission that had yielded the bodies. But now, three of those corpses were gone. Her mind raced, going over the information again and again. She was only partially aware of herself dismissing the head of research with the wave of her hand. The sound of the door to her office closing echoed in the silent room.

Tsunade leaned back in her chair, a troubled look on her face. She wondered what she was going to do now. These troubling new revelations grated at the edge of her mind, and she knew the situation was most likely direr than Shikamaru and Team 8 were prepared for. However, she had no available forces, apart from the reserve forces of the Village, who were required to stay in the Village in case of an emergency situation. She was loath to risk those forces, and she expected that if she did, she would face criticism from the Village council. But whatever way she looked at it, the fact was that she was in danger of losing no less than four promising young shinobi, and that was a loss the Village could not accept.

"What are you going to do, Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked, a worried expression painted across her features. The younger woman had always been keen at telling when her master was troubled, and her skill did not fail her this time. Tsunade sighed and looked her assistant in the eyes. "There is only one thing we can do, Shizune."

The black-haired woman nodded, probably already guessing what Tsunade was aiming to do. The older woman had never been one to leave anyone behind, no matter the situation. The Hokage turned her chair around, and looked out the window. She stared towards the horizon, where heavy clouds were looming menacingly over the forest. "I want an ANBU team deployed and on their way to assist Shikamaru's group within ten minutes."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

There was nothing she could do. Tayuya had long since ceased her struggles against the superior strength of the man carrying her. His grip rocked her gently with every leap he took, but she found no comfort in it. His tempo was slow, but the leisurely pace was a torture to Tayuya's psyche, because she knew what awaited her at the end of the journey. In a way, she wished he would just hurry the fuck up, so that she could get it over with faster. She just wanted the long and drawn-out torment to end.

Clearly her kidnapper was in no such hurry to arrive, as he slowed down to a halt, stopping on a particularly large branch high above the forest floor. Tayuya looked up at him, surprise written over her face. She had already got the impression that he wasn't in a hurry, but even he would have to be worried about pursuers, right? Even if Tayuya doubted they would send anyone to save her, her kidnapper wouldn't be safe until he was out of the Country of Fire.

"Hey, what the fuck's going on?" she asked, the curiousity she felt finally overwhelming the anger and frustration she felt towards him. Those feelings returned, however, when he ignored her question completely. The man let his gaze wander slowly from left to right, scanning the forest around them, before finally fixing his crimson eyes on a large tree a couple dozen metres away. "You can come out now."

"What took you so long, Katsu?" Tayuya's head whipped up immediately as she heard the voice speaking from the direction the man was looking. She recognized the voice. But, it was not possible. It couldn't be right. The person that voice belonged to was dead, she knew it. And yet, as the owner of the smug voice stepped out from behind the tree trunk, her terror-filled assumption was confirmed. Tayuya stared white-eyed at the bright-haired teen who now stood before her, her mind refusing to believe what she was seeing.

"Long time no see, Tayuya," Sakon said with a mirth-filled smile, as he leaned casually against the trunk he had been hiding behind, regarding her with a condescending gaze. "We were kind of disappointed when we heard that you didn't have the guts to die for the cause, like the rest of us did." At the mention, two other figures stepped out from behind the tree. One was a big-built, orange-haired boy, and the other was a six-armed freak, both former team-mates of her. Sakon shrugged, and grinned as he, along with Jirobou and Kidoumaru, approached. They leapt from the branch they were standing on, to land on the large branch where Katsu and Tayuya were located. "But then again, I guess you never were as dedicated to Orochimaru-sama as we were," Sakon finished, as the three boys sneered at the gawking redhead.

Tayuya just stared at her three former team-mates, her mind reeling at what was going on. This couldn't be happening! This had to be a dream, or perhaps a nightmare. They were dead! They were supposed to be dead! She had thought that they were gone, and that she would no longer have to suffer any abuse from them, and now they were alive. But how? There was only one person Tayuya knew who was capable of reviving the dead, and that was her former master. But Orochimaru's arms had been ruined during the invasion of Konoha in the past, so he wouldn't have been able to do it. Then, maybe Katsu…

It didn't matter. To Tayuya, the fact that her former team-mates were now alive only meant that she would suffer even more, and that mental blow was enough to push her deeper into her pit of despair. She could feel tears begin to well up in her eyes. Her whole body felt numb, her muscles trembling weakly with panic and despair. Before the cruel eyes of her former team-mates, Tayuya started crying, warm tears running down her cheeks and falling onto the rough bark of the branch beneath them.

Ignoring the crying redhead, Katsu stared levelly at the three once-dead shinobi. "You'd better conceal yourselves. We're being followed, so I want you to take care of them," he said, and the three nodded, before disappearing in whirls of dust. Katsu turned around on the branch, to face the oncoming pursuers. A quick ambush would wipe them out, and then he would be free to proceed unhindered to Orochimaru-sama with his precious load.

As the three members of what had once been the Sound Four hid themselves in the canopy above him and Tayuya, Katsu looked down at the redhead hanging limp under his arm, sobbing quietly to herself. "I guess you hadn't expected to see them, huh?" he said, the tone in his voice slightly apologetic. He could understand that the incident must have rattled even an experienced shinobi like her. "Kabuto-san and I brought them back, under the direct supervision of Orochimaru-sama," he continued. Orochimaru was unable to perform techniques himself, but he could still instruct on how to perform them, and Kabuto and himself were just powerful enough combined to pull the highly advanced technique off.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The group had been moving in silence for the past few minutes, knowing that they were closing with the enemy, and that making too much noise could alert their opponent to their presence, if he hadn't already noticed. Shikamaru was under no illusion that the man they were following was aware that he was being pursued, and he wondered how they had caught up so fast. Looking up at the sun's position on the sky, he estimated that Tayuya and her kidnapper must've had at least two hours head start to his group. Yet, they had caught up in less than an hour. Had they really moved that fast, or was there something else going on?

"Shikamaru, since we're about to catch up, would you mind telling us about the enemy's capabilities?" Shikamaru was shaken out of his own thoughts, and it took a moment before he realized that the question had come from Shino. He thought back to when he had fought the man. The most obvious part of his capabilities was the huge sword he wielded in combat, made even more dangerous by the fact that he was capable of releasing bursts of chakra through the blade. Apart from that, however, Shikamaru had not seen any signs of usual shinobi skills.

"He's a swordsman, carrying a large sword which he can use to fire concentrated bursts of chakra to increase his range," Shikamaru said, trying to condense what he knew into a short description, while making sure that he did not miss any vital info. "He strong and fast, but I didn't see him using any shinobi skills. However, I can't be sure, so we should be ready for that possibility." There was a possibility that the man was simply a swordsman with a special sword, and not a shinobi, but Shikamaru would not bet on that chance. The best solution was to prepare for the worst situation, not for the best.

"Someone using chakra itself for attacking is bound to be dangerous, so we need to be careful," Hinata said, the tone in her voice telling Shikamaru that she was worried and wary. He didn't blame her, seeing as he knew how dangerous Tayuya's kidnapper was. However, he wondered if Hinata realized the irony in her words, seeing as her own clan's unique fighting style was one which was heavily influenced by direct application of chakra.

A low growl from Akamaru got the group's attention, and they turned to the front, where Kiba had lifted an arm in warning. "We have caught up. They seem to have stopped. Most likely they've realized we're right behind them," Kiba warned. Shikamaru knew that a confrontation would be inevitable, but he had hoped to have the element of surprise. This seemed to be lost now, however. He noticed Kiba's eyes narrowing in frustration, as the maroon-haired boy continued: "I have their scent clearly, but something feels… off, something I can't put my finger on," he said, the nervous tone in his voice making Shikamaru's skin crawl. He didn't like surprises, especially not in a situation like this.

In the next moment, he saw their target. He saw the man standing on a large branch, calmly awaiting them. And under his arm, Shikamaru could see Tayuya. She hung limp in the man's grip, and for a panicked moment Shikamaru wondered if the man had killed her. He reined himself in immediately; there would be no point for the man to kidnap her, only to kill her later. She had to be alive. She just had to.

Seeing as the enemy was expecting them, there was little point in hiding their presence. Shikamaru and Team 8 landed on a branch opposite to the man, keeping a wary distance to the tall, muscular figure. As if on cue, befitting of the tense moment, the sky suddenly opened up and the dark clouds that had loomed over them the whole time finally released their wet payload. The rain came down, cold and hard, dripping onto them from the canopy above. Shikamaru ignored the sensation of water running down his neck and face. All his attention was focused on Tayuya.

"Tayuya, are you okay?" The yell reached Tayuya's ears, but she could hardly believe what she was hearing. Slowly, she lifted her head, warm tears still running down her cheeks, alongside the cold raindrops. He was there. Shikamaru was standing on a nearby branch, along with the group of shinobi they had met that other day, staring straight at her. Her heart skipped a beat. He had come to save her! He really cared about her! Her relief suddenly turned to fear, however, as she remembered that her former teammates were about to ambush Shikamaru and his friends.

"Shikamaru, run!" Tayuya screamed, panic evident in her voice as she stared at him with wide, fearful eyes. Shikamaru looked at her, confused as to why she was asking him to run away, now that he had come to save her. "It's a trap! You're going to get killed!" As Shikamaru's brain still processed the words that she had yelled to him, Akamaru barked loudly in warning. It was the only warning they got before they were under attack.

Golden spikes suddenly rained from above along with the drops of water. The four Leaf shinobi leapt backwards as dozens of sharp spikes embedded themselves in the branch they had been standing on, a staccato of thuds resounding as the deadly hail ripped through the tough wood. Shikamaru's eyes scanned the canopy above them, trying to locate the source of the attack.

A movement at the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he whipped his head around just as Kiba cried out a warning. "Hinata, look out!" The Hyuuga heiress barely had the time to lift her head as she leapt backwards from the first attack, her short, dark purple hair whipping around her face. Above her, a large, muscular teenager with a bright orange Mohawk had dropped down from the canopy above, and now brought his open palm down like a jackhammer, the powerful punch catching Hinata in the abdomen. Even from the distance, Kiba could hear the wind being knocked forcefully from his friend's lungs. The force of the strike sent her flying towards the forest floor far below, her attacker dropping after her, obviously intending to finish the job.

"Hinata!" Kiba yelled again, but before he could think above assisting his teammate, he too was under attack. Almost instinctively, Kiba lifted his arm, blocking a powerful kick from the right, and as he turned his head, he stared into the eyes of a familiar foe. A dilated eye filled with malice, framed by grey hair, stared back at him, and Kiba's eyes widened in surprise and disbelief.

"It's not possible…"

**To Be Continued…**

Well, that's all for this time :-D See you all in a few months!

Haraio


	23. Chapter 23: Repeating Past Mistakes

Again, an apology is in order. In fact, this time more so than ever before. I can hardly believe it's been like, what, three months since the last time I updated this. No, wait, make that four months. For this, I'm really, really sorry. Things just kept piling up, preventing me from writing. Work, exams, family and lack of Internet during most of the Christmas prevented me from doing pretty much anything.

Also, I had problems finding the inspiration to continue writing this chapter. I haven't watched Naruto since around Shippuuden episode 120, and as such I've lost a lot of the interest I used to have in the Naruto series. I still really enjoy writing this story, and I will finish it, but I also want to start on many new projects, especially with so many interesting new anime series that have just started. I will talk a bit more about this after the chapter. For now, on with chapter 23 of New Life of the Sound Demon!

As always, my girlfriend Natasja is my trustworthy beta reader.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

**Chapter 23: Repeating Past Mistakes**

All around them, the rain was pouring down heavily, as if the drains of heaven had opened up above them. It was like a metaphor for the despair and hopelessness that Shikamaru felt within, as everything unraveled around him. He had been careless, rushing ahead like this, into something that he was not at all prepared for. It was not like him to be so hasty like this. Worst of all, he had brought his friends with him into the danger.

Now he could only watch Hinata falling down to the ground far below, the attack having come too quickly for anyone in his team to respond. His plan had once again been unable to survive contact with the enemy. Despite his best efforts to keep on guard, they had been ambushed. They had been careless. He had told Hinata to deactivate her Byakugan a while ago to avoid straining herself, and he had been confident that the combined efforts of Kiba's senses and Shino's insects would keep them safe from ambush. But nothing had gone to plan.

Now Shikamaru watched as his comrades were locked in combat with opponents from the previous retrieval mission, opponents he had already believed to be dead. How this could be, he didn't know. It was not important right now. At the moment, survival was more important than understanding. It seemed their opponents had all activated the second stages of their transformation, meaning that they were not playing around this time. They were not about to repeat the mistake that had left them all dead the last time around.

o-o-o-o-o-

Inuzuka Kiba stared in disbelief at the person standing in front of him, unable to believe his own eyes. It was not possible. He had seen the Sand shinobi Kankuro kill the gray-haired twins with his own eyes. And yet, he now stared into the cruel eyes of the very same shinobi. His skin was dark brown and rough, almost leathery, and a sharp horn jutted from his forehead. "You're dead," he exclaimed, unable to hide his surprise, and the Sound shinobi laughed, a wicked smile adorning his thin, brown lips. "That's right; you're the mutt we fought back then. Well, I guess it's time for payback then!" As soon as the words reached Kiba's ears, he felt a foot connect hard with his upper stomach, and he reeled back, both from pain and from shock, as he had not seen the opponent's leg move. Gasping for breath, he witnessed a leg slowly receding back into the Sound shinobi's chest.

He remembered now. The creepy Siamese twins, who were named Sakon and Ukon as far as Kiba could recall, had the ability to exist within each other's bodies, and project body parts from the host body. They had been the most challenging opponents he had ever faced, and this time he doubted that the Sand would come to their aid. This time, at least, he did not have the disadvantage of being unaware of their abilities, but then again the same was true for them.

"Sakon, was it?" Kiba said as he rubbed his hand over the place he had been kicked, feeling his normal breathing pattern slowly returning. The Sound shinobi raised an eyebrow, grinning at him from behind the lock of grayish hair. "Oh, so you remember my name, huh?" he asked and shrugged his shoulders, his body language relaxed. "Too bad I don't remember yours, mutt." The taunt didn't faze Kiba. He knew what the Sound shinobi was trying to achieve. Their goal was probably not too different from the last time. They were trying to prevent the rescue team from Tayuya, by killing them or at the very least delaying them enough for the swordsman to escape with his quarry.

Behind the gray-haired shinobi, Kiba saw the man carrying Tayuya turn and leave the scene, confirming his suspicions. He had to keep the mission in mind. Their primary goal was to get the redhead back alive. Keeping one eye on his opponent, the Inuzuka turned to look at Shikamaru, who was standing on a nearby branch. "Shikamaru, go after them! We'll keep these guys occupied!" he yelled, as he lunged forward, aiming to get the twin's attention away from his friend.

Shikamaru turned his head as he heard Kiba's shout. It shook him out of his confusion, out of the feeling of helplessness and bewilderment. Quicker than he could have been prepared for, their pursuit of the enemy had instead turned into a fight for their own survival. Somewhere below the massive trees, Hinata was fighting against the orange-haired brute, and both Kiba and Shino were engaged in their own fights. Shikamaru hesitated a moment as he looked at Kiba who lunged at the gray-haired Sound shinobi, but then he made up his mind.

In the distance, he could see the swordsman jumping away, Tayuya still held securely underneath his arm. He could not abandon her. Not now. Not after everything she had been through. He would not allow her to be taken back to the hell she had come from. He would just have to trust in his friends, that they would be okay and would be able to survive without him. Steeling himself with a new surge of determination, Shikamaru leapt from the branch he stood on, in pursuit of the dark-haired swordsman.

Kiba watched Shikamaru leave with mixed feelings. In one way, the mission was not a failure as long as someone chased their goal. On the other hand, Kiba was unsure whether Shikamaru would stand any chance at all against his opponent. From what Shikamaru had told them so far, their opponent was really strong, stronger than any of them in a one-on-one fight. That was why they had teamed up, hoping that the four of them together would be enough to win. But now they were all on their own, and the hope of successfully completing their mission suddenly seemed very small.

"He isn't going to survive." Kiba turned in the direction of his opponent, Sakon's dark lips curled into a smirk as he too watched Shikamaru leave the scene. The Inuzuka glared at the pale-haired boy, as they turned to face each other again, leaving Shikamaru to the chase. "Katsu is too strong for him," the youngest of the Siamese twins continued. Kiba assumed Katsu was the man with the huge sword, from the way his opponent said the name. He didn't fall for the taunt. His opponent was simply trying to get him out of focus and of balance, a common technique for any shinobi in a fight.

Kiba shook his head slowly, a small smile on his face. Sakon saw the smile, and his own smirk dropped a fraction, to the Inuzuka's satisfaction. "That might be true," Kiba admitted, as he leisurely withdrew a kunai from the weapon pouch strapped to his right thigh. As he twirled the sharp throwing knife around his finger, he regarded his opponent. "That is, if he knew what Shikamaru is capable of."

He knew that if there were anyone who would be capable of beating such a strong opponent in a one-on-one fight, it would be Shikamaru. Shikamaru had what few of the other young shinobi possessed; the ability to think clearly and quickly while in a dangerous situation. Shikamaru always found a way out of any situation. That was one of his greatest strengths, why he was considered a genius in the Village, and why he had been promoted to Chuunin.

Kiba smiled to himself, feeling more confident. Shikamaru would be okay. He would find a way to save his girlfriend. It was just the way the Nara mastermind was. Kiba would just have to survive, defeat his own opponent, and then go after Shikamaru. With new resolve, Kiba stopped twirling the kunai around his index finger, seizing the knife in an underhand grip. He dropped into a combat stance, staring straight at his opponent. The smile was now gone from Sakon's face.

"We Leaf shinobi are always full of surprises," Kiba said with a smile. Akamaru jumped up on his back, barking in agreement. Then, Kiba began forming hand seals.

o-o-o-o-o-

A short, golden spike struck into the branch Shino was standing on with a loud _thud_, only a few inches from his left foot. Almost completely by instinct, Shino leapt backwards. More sharp spikes rained down, embedding themselves into the spot where he had just been standing, the rain-soaked branch shaking with each consecutive impact. Quickly fishing a kunai from one of his coat's many pockets, Shino deflected another of the sharp objects trying to hit him in midair. He had barely landed on the next branch, before another hail of spikes forced him to jump again.

He knew what was going on. The point with the rain of spikes was to force him backwards, away from his comrades. His opponent was attempting to split them up, to engage them one-on-one, and it seemed to be working very well, Shino had to admit. Hinata was somewhere far below, having been taken by surprise by the first strike of their ambush, and Shino could see Kiba engaging another opponent, being forced in the opposite direction.

Shino looked up at his opponent. He was hanging on the side of a large tree, two hands holding onto the trunk of the massive tree, while the other four hands were pulling a golden mass from the boy's mouth and fashioning it into short, sharp spikes, which were then thrown continuously in Shino's direction. There seemed to be no end to how many the six-armed boy could make, and Shino was forced to retreat again as another hail struck the branch he had landed on.

"You're not going to fight back, trash?" A mocking taunt came from above. Shino looked up, staring straight at his opponent, as his feet touched down on yet another wooden branch. The deadly hail of gold had ceased for the moment, allowing Shino to get a better look at his opponent. It was not only his excessive number of limbs that made him seem inhuman. His opponent's skin was dark and leathery-looking, with wicked horns sprouting like jagged thorns from his arms, shoulders and forehead. A mane-like ponytail of gray hair flowed behind him, and his eyes were pitch black and filled with a malice that seemed to radiate from him. Even though Shino had never seen the complete stage of a curse seal before, Kiba had told him enough to enable to Aburame to recognize it when he saw it.

"Are you just going to run away?" The six-armed shinobi mocked as he watched his opponent like a spider would watch a fly, a hungry smirk on his lips. In response, a couple of shurikens flew in his direction, and the Sound elite laughed as he knocked the throwing stars out of the air with two well-placed golden spikes. "Pathetic," Kidoumaru remarked, as he stared down his opponent, a confident smirk on his face. "You're nowhere near the level of the previous Leaf shinobi I fought. He actually killed me, something you won't be able to do."

Shino wondered for a moment which of his fellow genin this person had fought before, but it didn't really matter much in the current situation. The Aburame youth didn't have much time to think it over either, as his opponent resumed his attack, but in a different fashion. The six-armed shinobi's cheeks inflated briefly, before he spat out a fist-sized globe of white stuff. Shino gripped the kunai tightly in his hand, ready to block the attack. No more running. He would stand and fight, just like his friends were doing right now.

Just as Shino thrust his arm forward, swinging the kunai to deflect the globe, did he realize his error. The white sphere wasn't solid. It was too late to stop his own movement. Shino could only watch, as if in slow motion, as the globe of sticky fluid struck his arm, the momentum pushing his arm back onto the trunk of the tree. Behind his sunglasses, Shino's eyes widened as he tried to pull on his arm, and found his limb stuck like glue to the rough bark of the tree. As he stared up at the triumphant grin of his opponent, Shino realized that he was in serious trouble.

o-o-o-o-o-

Hyuuga Hinata's vision swam and blurred, and she gasped for breath, forcing oxygen into her aching lungs. She was aware of a falling sensation, and she forced her white eyes to focus. Twisting her head, she could see the dark brown forest floor approaching rapidly from below. She had been careless. She had not seen the attack coming at all, because she had been too focused on the enemy in front of her. She cursed her own unawareness; this was why she was always assumed to be an inferior shinobi to her cousin.

Looking up, her white eyes widened. The big, orange-haired brute was following her, falling after her with a velocity almost matching her own. Only now did she notice that his skin looked dark red and rough, almost leathery, and a large mane of orange hair flowed behind him, giving him the look of a beast. As he fell towards her, Hinata noticed him pulling his fist back, and she realized he was intending to finish her off with another powerful punch when they hit the ground. She had to get out of the way before they reached the forest floor, one way or another.

Forcing chakra to flow into her hands, Hinata pushed her palms down towards the ground, using the energy to slow her fall just enough to not break her body upon impact with the ground from the high fall. Landing on her hands, she let her arms absorb the force of the impact, like a spring, before pushing herself to the side, landing on her feet a few metres back. She sunk to one knee, feeling her heart pounding painfully in her chest. It felt like she had been hit by a sledgehammer, the combined forces of the attack and fall taking its toll upon her body.

Not more than a second later, her opponent slammed into the ground where she had been, fist first. The forest floor seemed to explode in a cloud of dust and earth, the ground shaking like an earthquake and tiny pebbles peppering the crouching Hyuuga like hail. Covering her face with her arm, she stared wide-eyed at the unbelievable destruction her opponent's punch had caused. In front of her, there was a deep crater almost fifteen metres in diameter, a thick dust cloud still surrounding most of it. She breathed out softly between her lips, trying to steady herself as she took in the devastation before her. How had she survived a punch from him before? She didn't think any of her ribs were broken, but her lower chest was definitely bruised by the force of his attack. She had to be careful.

No sooner had the thought crossed her mind, before her brutish opponent burst from the dust cloud only a few metres from her, throwing his whole weight behind another punch. But this time, Hinata was more prepared. Slipping into her usual fighting stance, she was ready to take on his aggressive and straight-forward attack. It was very easy to read, and Hinata waited until he was within perfect range of her before making her move.

As his right fist struck forward, Hinata's own right hand struck his clenched fist flat-handed from the side, deflecting the force of his attack to her left. With his momentum re-directed, she could tell he was stumbling, his balance and control of his body quite obviously lost. Before he could regain that all-important balance, her left hand seized his wrist in a tight grip, and, using his own momentum and weight against him, she slammed her chakra-filled right hand palm-first into his stomach. Putting her strength behind her right arm, and aided by the speed of her opponent, she was able to throw him over herself, sending him flying to land several metres away.

The big male hit the ground like a sack of potatoes, with no elegance like the one Hinata had shown at the end of her own fall. But it didn't matter much, because in the next moment he was up on his feet again, seemingly having suffered no damage from her counter-attack. She assumed it must be the curse seal her cousin Neji had told her about in the wake of his battle with the shinobis of the Sound; it probably accounted for his dark skin and his wild, almost feral-looking mane and eyes, as well as his unnatural resistance and strength.

The orange-haired shinobi rubbed his gut slowly with a large hand, his expression one of amused curiousity. "Hey, that stung a bit," he exclaimed with a small grin towards her, his dark eyes regarding her. Hinata's white orbs narrowed slightly. An attack like that should have done more than just hurt a bit, but her opponent seemed unaffected. How would she even injure him if he possessed a resistance like that? Unlike her cousin Neji, she did not possess a wide variety of attacks. If her Gentle Fist didn't work against this opponent, she did not have many other options.

Hinata had little time to think about her problem. The large brute rushed forward again, seemingly content with continuing to attack her in a head-on fashion. The Hyuuga heiress dropped into her combat stance again, ready to meet his crude attack once more. But in the back of her head, she still had to fight the nagging, almost frightening feeling that she didn't really have anything to put up against her opponent's apparent invulnerability.

-o-o-o-o-o-

He was slowly catching up. In the distance ahead, he could see the tall man, Katsu, leaping from branch to branch with ease, Tayuya still held securely under his left arm. Urging himself on, Shikamaru picked up speed. He had to save her, no matter what. She did not deserve to go back to the Sound Village, where she would undoubtedly face a long-drawn and excruciatingly painful death. He would save her from that fate. In the distance, in front of Tayuya and her captor, he could see the number of trees diminishing, the forest abruptly giving way to a wide, expansive plain of green.

From what he had been told in the aftermath of the previous rescue mission, Rock Lee and Gaara of the Sand had fought and defeated one of the Sound shinobi on the plain. As he leapt from the last tree, Shikamaru could see no signs of this battle. The plain seemed to stretch on forever, the monotony of the short grass not broken by a single tree or bush. All he could see was his opponent, still in midair, having leapt from the same tree as himself.

Reaching into his weapon pouch, Shikamaru withdrew two sharp kunai, and threw them towards his airborne target. What he hoped to achieve with it, he didn't know. He possessed no presumptions that he would be able to kill or even wound the swordsman with such a simple attack. He was proven correct a few moments later. Just before the kunai hit his opponent, the tall man spun around, his sword drawn. The two knives hit the large blade with the pathetic sound of deflected metal, and fell to into the grass below.

Both males landed on the grass a small distance from each other, Shikamaru landing nearby to his discarded throwing knives. He did not bother picking them up. The small metal projectiles would not help against a foe like this. His goal had been to get the man to stop, and by throwing the knives he had achieved this goal. The first stage of his plan was completed.

Katsu's crimson eyes admitted a hint of surprise at seeing Shikamaru again, having not expected to see the boy follow him so quickly and this far. When he had stabbed the boy, he had assumed the boy would be out of the game for at least a few days. Yet now, just a few hours since he had carried Tayuya kicking and screaming over the wall that surrounded the Leaf Village, over the dead bodies of the guards, he stared at the same boy who had tried to stop him back then.

Shikamaru breathed softly as he ignored his opponent's surprised gaze, in favour of looking at the reason he was here. He stared at Tayuya, meeting her eyes as she stared back. She seemed to be fine, or at least as fine as she could be in the current situation. At least she appeared to be uninjured, which was a relief. "Tayuya," he called, and the redhead in question cocked her head slightly, briefly reminding Shikamaru of a puppy being called on. "Are you alright?"

Despite the situation she found herself in, Tayuya couldn't help but admit a small smile of happiness to appear on her lips. She nodded softly in response to Shikamaru's inquiry, as she stared at him across the small distance between them. "Yeah, I'm fine." She had never, ever before been so happy to see his stupid, pineapple-shaped haircut. The fact that he had not abandoned her to her fate, but actually decided to follow her despite the hopelessness of the situation, meant the world to her. Over the course of her life, few had stuck up for her when she needed help. But now, he did.

Her chestnut eyes moved down to Shikamaru's side. His clothes were still coloured dark red where he had been wounded, and she wondered if he had even been healed before going after her. Her smile disappeared. He must have been healed, or there was no way he would be able to chase after her, or catch up. Still, his injury must be far from fully healed. If the two of them together had been unable to defeat Katsu, there was absolutely no chance of a wounded Shikamaru triumphing alone, unless he had some sort of plan. Tayuya stared at him, her eyes clearly displaying the worry she felt. She did not want to see him die here on the grassy plain. Not for her.

She wanted to live. She really did, but not if it meant that he would sacrifice himself for her. He had already saved her several times, and she would not be able to go on living with her life debt to him if he got himself killed for her sake. A look of genuine worry and concern was on her face as she looked at the boy who in such a short time had taken such a big space in her heart. She really hoped he knew what he was doing. When the two of them had fought against each other, he had seemed to always have a plan in reserve to counter every move of hers, and she hoped the same was true this time.

"You don't know when to give up, kid," Katsu said slowly, a hint of irritation in his voice as he regarded the boy that now stood before him, preventing him from taking his quarry back to his master. He stuck the tip of the blade into the soggy grass, and leaned against the hilt, his left arm still holding Tayuya in a tight grip. "I gave you a chance to live, but it seems you don't treasure your own life much." As he spoke the last sentence, Tayuya lifted her head to look at her captor, her chestnut eyes filled with apprehension.

Shikamaru straightened himself as he looked as his opponent. His senses took in everything around him in the span of a few heartbeats. He saw the short grass surrounding him and his opponent in every direction. He felt the gentle breeze and the cold rain drops grace his cheeks and forehead. He felt his clothes and his somewhat-heavy leather armour, pressing gently against the throbbing wound in his side. His mind recounted the contents of his weapon pouch; three kunai, six shuriken and two explosive tags. Everything around him, everything he carried with him, was his chess pieces, the means with which he had to win the fight of his life.

Smiling slightly at his opponent, Shikamaru ran his hand slowly through his dark, wet hair. "It's not that I don't value my own life," he admitted, as he looked at Tayuya, seeing her chestnut eyes locked on him. "I've always been the first to run away from trouble. But this time, I can't do that." He had finally come to terms with himself, and what he felt for the redhead who he had chased all this way. He was ready to fight the hardest battle so far in his life, and to do so without fear. As he looked into the eyes of the girl he loved, he spoke slowly, with confidence evident in his clear voice. "Because I value her life more than my own."

**To Be Continued…**

-cue epic fight scenes-

Well, there we have it. The stage is set for some epic one-on-one fights. Who will win, and who will die? I know; you'll have to wait a couple of months to find out :D

Anyway, I wanted to take a little space at the end here to ask you all a question: What do you think of the anime series that are starting now, January 2011? Personally, I really enjoy _Freezing, Yumekui Merry, Dragon Crisis_ and _Kore wa Zombie desu ka?_, and once FanFiction get the proper categories up and running, I might write some one-shots for these series? So what are your opinions on this season's anime series? Just include your answer in your reviews ;)

Until next time!


	24. Chapter 24: Underdogs

Here we are again, and I'm happy to finally be able to present chapter 24 of New Life of the Sound Demon to you all. As usual, there has been a lot of delays, but I'm also happy to announce that I've already written quite a bit on the next three chapters, so once the exam period is over in Mid-June, I will be able to get them all up during the summer break. At least, that's what I hope for :-P

Also, yesterday I celebrated my 22nd birthday, so consider this my birthday present to you all ;-) Now, let's get back to the story and see how our friends from Konoha can survive their individual fights after the ambush!

As always, thanks to my girlfriend Natasja for proof-reading this chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

**Chapter 24: Underdogs**

In the sky above the thick forest, black clouds loomed as far as the eye could see. Cold, heavy rain poured from the heavens, soaking the trees below and the group of people among them. There were four of them; each hiding their faces behind white porcelain masks. The leader, a woman with long, violet hair, looked back at her three comrades as they moved quickly through the forest. The black katana carried on her back swung with every leap, nodding back and forth as if the blade itself was impatient to shed blood. "Primary objective: Retrieval of Konoha shinobi team, alive. Secondary objective: Retrieval of Sound Defector, Tayuya, and elimination of all hostiles," the woman called, repeating the orders that had been given to them, reminding her three colleagues of what was expected of them. Even though the reminder was unnecessary, everyone being well aware of the objectives, the three male ANBU nodded as one. One of them, a man with short, brown hair and a mask like a striped cat, made a hand seal and closed his eyes, before speaking up in a low, monotone voice. "Three Konoha shinobi located, all engaged in separate fights. Split up." No sooner were the words spoken, before the ANBU dispersed in separate directions, their departure hidden by four identical whirls of green leaves.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Hyuuga Hinata cried out in pain as she hit the ground hard, shoulder first, her body sliding and rolling over the muddy ground before coming to halt against the trunk of a tree. The collision put an abrupt stop to her involuntary journey, the sudden stop knocking the wind from her lungs. For a moment's time, there was no sound apart from the pouring rain. Then, Hinata coughed softly and pushed herself up with trembling hands, revealing her state. Red blood was trickling down her face, her left cheek bruised and dark purple from where she had been hit. Her beige jacket was now dark brown and heavy with mud, courtesy of the soggy ground she had been forced into several times over the course of the fight. It seemed no matter how much she tried, she was losing this battle. Her breath came in laboured gasps, as she staggered to her feet, her feet finding precious purchase on the slippery, muddy ground.

Loud splashing drew her attention, and she looked up, her pearly white eyes finding her opponent. The large, orange-haired boy stormed towards her, every heavy step sending up a small shower of brown mud as his heavy feet slapped against the soggy ground. He was surprisingly quick for his size, and Hinata barely had the time to adopt her regular fighting stance before he was upon her. A ham-sized fist ploughed straight towards her face, but she slapped the punch aside with her chakra-covered hand. Her opponent had no style and finesse in his attacks, but he was strong, and possessed a seemingly limitless endurance. Hinata, on the other hand, was exhausted, in pain and weakening with every minute that this fight went on.

Rather than lose his balance like she had hoped for by blocking his attack, Hinata's opponent simply slammed into her, shoulder first, his momentum and weight throwing the light-weight girl backwards. The Hyuuga heiress let out a strangled gasp as the air was forced from her lungs yet again. Again she slammed into the ground, mud splashing around her as she rolled over the forest floor. Her opponent stood grinning, watching her as she slowly stood up again. Hinata stared at him, her breath laboured. She was being forced back, she realised. Her friends were fighting for their own lives somewhere behind the orange-haired boy, and she was being forced further and further away from them. The young girl swallowed, and narrowed her eyes as she adopted her battle stance once again. She was on her own for the moment, and it was unlikely that she would get any help in the foreseeable future.

He was very confident in his superiority, Hinata realised now. He was not even attempting to attack her while she was recovering. He just stood a few meters away, watching her with the same grin on his lips. Hinata opened her hands, focussing chakra into her palms, as she adopted her battle stance to perform her signature move; the Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms. In her mind, she envisioned the expanding circles on the ground around her, and the distance to her opponent. With her Byakugan activated, she could see his chakra system, like a bright spider web spreading throughout his large body. Every muscle in Hinata's body felt ready to strike, like a great feline preparing to pounce.

With a great burst of speed, Hinata threw herself forward, her palm striking the orange-haired boy square in the chest. Jirobou reeled back from the unexpected strike with a surprised grunt, but the girl was on him, a second hit striking him in the upper stomach. Several more hits forced him further back, and Hinata was eyeing a glimmer of hope. It seemed he was taking damage from her strikes. However, her hope was short-lived. Jirobou leapt backwards with surprising agility for his size, putting a couple of metres between them. Quickly slamming a large palm into the mud, the ground exploded in front of Hinata. Her fourteenth strike hit solid rock, and the young Hyuuga gasped as she realised that the boy had conjured an earth wall between them.

Hinata stared dumb-founded at the caramel-coloured earth wall in front of her, momentarily taken aback by how easily her attack had been halted. Thanks to her Byakugan, she could see her opponent standing on the other side of the wall, apparently not much worse for wear from her attack. His internal chakra stream didn't appear to have suffered much, despite the fact that she had definitely hit him at least half a dozen times with her chakra-powered attack. A niggling feeling of despair began to make itself felt in her guts, making her feel as if she had swallowed a bucket of ice. How was she supposed to have a chance to defeat him?

As Hinata went through these thoughts in her mind, she suddenly realised that her opponent was pulling his fist back. Too late did she realise what he was trying to do, but she still tried to leap backwards, away from the imminent danger. The earth wall, more than a foot thick, exploded outwards with incredible force, pieces of rock the size of Hinata's own fist pelting her savagely. Her reaction saved her from the worst of the debris; at a shorter distance, the hail of rocks would have done serious damage to her. Still, Hinata was hit hard. She winced as her arms took several bruising hits as she tried to shield her face from the worst of the debris, and a small rock struck her temple, making her vision momentarily blur and swim.

Before she could even recover from the hail of debris, he was upon her again, his ham-sized hand reaching out for her. His fingers took hold of her short, purple hair, and in the next moment his knee was driven straight up into her stomach. Hinata doubled over, her pearly white eyes wide with pain and surprise. Mercilessly, her opponent didn't allow her any chance of recovering. Letting go of her hair, he sent a powerful upwards kick into her stomach, the tip of his shoe digging into her lower chest, launching her a good six feet into the air before she landed hard on the ground. The young Hyuuga landed flat on the ground, gravity forcing her face into the thick mud.

As her opponent took a few steps back, Hinata pushed herself weakly up on her elbows. She retched violently, and watched as crimson blood, her blood, slowly mingled with the muddy water below her. She coughed again, more red tainting the ground as she emptied the liquid from her aching lungs. The world was blurring around her. The water and blood below her seemed to swirl in slow motion, as she forced her aching muscles to move. In the distance, she could hear the dull sounds of trees toppling and splintering. The others were still fighting. She couldn't give up now. Slowly, Hinata sat up on her knees, every move her muscles wracked with pain.

She didn't get any further before she felt something seize her temple, and as thick fingers gripped her skull she was lifted off the ground. Her legs kicked weakly at empty air, and it took a moment for Hinata's brain to realise that it was her opponent who had picked her up. He stood before her, holding her up so he could look into her eyes. "Are you done?" His voice was mocking, confident, as he stared at her, his orange eyes measuring her, the same way a cat would measure a broken bird. Hinata stared back, her eyes blurry. She had no strength left to form an answer to his question.

Jirobou stared at the girl, a sneer on his lips. Their whole fight had been fatuous, a mere parody of a real battle. Their levels were too different to make their fight any interesting, and now he had won, a victory which he had been certain of from the very beginning. Still, while it had been quite boring, he could still claim his prize. Gripping the young girl's skull tightly in his hand, he began draining the delicious chakra from her body. Hinata let out a sudden scream and tried vainly to struggle against the grip, her whole body suddenly on fire as her chakra, her life force, was forcibly drained from her. She gripped at his wrist, but her foe refused to relent. Panic surged through Hinata's mind, tears of fear welling up in her eyes, as she realised she was too weak to break his hold.

Was this it? Hinata couldn't believe this was how she would die. She did not want it to end like this; being drained of all her energy and killed, alone and cold in the rain, lost somewhere in the forest. She thought of everything she had ever dreamed of, every future she had dared to hope for. Hinata wanted to grow up and become a worthy heir to the Hyuuga clan. She wanted to become someone everyone would respect, even her cousin Neji. She wanted to admit her feelings for Naruto, and marry him. Naruto...

As her mind wandered to the loud, energetic blonde, Hinata's heart began beating faster. Naruto would never have given up in a situation such as this. She remembered when he had fought against her cousin Neji, how he had been seemingly beaten, but had triumphed through sheer determination. She remembered how much she had admired him at that point, and how she had wished she could become strong and determined like him. It was time for her to prove that she could do the same. Now she would show that she was worthy of becoming his significant other.

With an effort of will, Hinata tapped deeply into her rapidly dwindling chakra reserve, and forced as much as she could muster into her thumbs. Her vision was blurring with every moment, and she thought she would pass out soon, but she could still see her opponent's face clearly before her eyes. Gritting her teeth in determination, Hinata reached out for the boy's face. Jirobou didn't realise what was going on, until Hinata's thumbs, surging with chakra, were forced into his eye sockets. The brute screamed out in pain, a loud, guttural cry as the chakra blinded him. Hinata felt the stubby fingers around her temple relinquish their hold, and she fell down onto the ground, landing hard on her hands and knees.

Adrenaline surged through her body, forcing her body to move despite the aching pain that seemed to permeate through every muscle in her figure. Visibly trembling, Hinata got to her feet, watching her opponent stumbling around before her, his large hands clutching his face as angry cries erupted from his lips. Now was her chance. Now she had an opportunity to finish this fight, before her own body gave up on her. With an effort of will, the young Hyuuga once again adopted her familiar combat stance, hopefully for the last time today.

As she watched her opponent stumble around in the mud before her, like a clumsy beast, Hinata concentrated on what she was going to do. Her gentle fist seemed to have little effect on her opponent, as evident by the fact that he was able to use chakra with little problem, despite being hit several times by her attacks. Thus, she had to use another method, one she had only recently begun practicing under the tutoring of her father. Rather than open her palms, like she would if she would strike her opponent with the flat of her palms, Hinata now formed her hands into a point. With sweat beading on her forehead, Hinata concentrated as much chakra as she could into her index and middle fingers, almost until the tip of her fingers hurt. She didn't know how long she could maintain her focus, or how long her aching, trembling muscles could keep up with the orders from her brain, so she had to act quickly.

Jirobou staggered back and forth, clutching his ruined eyes as he roared in fury. The chakra forced into his eyes had blinded him, and the pain blocked out everything else going on around him. That little bitch! He would kill her, and suck out all her chakra. Furiously, he began striking out at random with his large fists. However, his strikes hit nothing but empty air. Frustration built within him, when he suddenly felt a strike against his chest. The force of the hit was not very powerful, but it still made him stop in his tracks. His blinded eyes widened in surprise.

Hinata's fingers hit the large boy square in the chest, her whole strength put behind the attack. As her fingers connected with her opponent's body, the chakra gathered in the digits shot out, cutting through flesh and bone like a spear. Travelling in a straight line through Jirobou's body, the Hyuuga's chakra exited through his back, sending droplets of crimson blood pattering into the mud behind him. Again and again Hinata struck, with the speed of a viper, each strike cutting through her opponent's body and limbs. One hit made a hole straight through his upper arm, another puncturing his liver. With every strike that connected, the orange-haired boy's body shook with spasms as the Hyuuga's desperate, last-chance attack did devastating internal damage to him.

Rearing back, Hinata prepared for her final strike. Her opponent was standing before her, swaying slightly, two dozen small holes puncturing his body. The large boy had suffered horrific internal damage, Hinata's attacks having pierced several of his internal organs. For a moment, Hinata was appalled from seeing how much damage she had done to her opponent, but then she remembered how much she herself had suffered at his hands. Steeling herself, Hinata struck for the final time, her chakra-infused fingers going straight for her opponent's forehead.

The large boy reeled back from the final strike, his expression one of surprise and disbelief. A thin trickle of crimson ran slowly down the bridge of his nose, splitting just halfway down the bridge to trail along his cheeks like dark tears. He stood for a moment, his large mass swaying slightly, like a great tree, before his knees buckled. Jirobou toppled sideways and hit the muddy ground with a great splash, his life extinguished before his form had even touched the earth.

Hinata stood for a moment, staring at the body lying unmoving in the mud before her, before she fell backwards. A loud splash sounded as she landed flat on the soaked ground. The rain was still coming down, heavily, dozens of cool droplets landing on her face and trailing their way over her features. The rain mingled with the crimson blood leaking from her nose and mouth, slowly washing it away. Hinata's whole body was aching, every muscle complaining in agony. Every breath of air drawn into her lungs was pain, yet the small, purple-haired shinobi smiled. She had won. She had done it. She had become strong enough to hold her own, and in her own mind, strong enough to be worthy of the one person whom she loved the most.

She stared up at the sky, the clouds barely visible through the thick canopy above her. The sky was gray, cold water still pouring down on the world below, yet there was a small hint of sunlight through the darkness of the clouds. The sight filled her with hope, despite the aching pain that she felt in every muscle in her body. She just hoped that everyone else were still alive and well. For now, she couldn't do anything except lie still and wait for someone to find her. She hoped that the help would come soon, both for her and for the others.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Breathing hard, Inuzuka Kiba stood hunched over, his eyes narrowed as he glared at his opponent, who was standing a little distance away. A confident smile played over the dark lips of the Sound elite named Sakon, and the eye not hidden behind his pale hair held nothing but contempt for his seemingly much weaker foe. Their fight had raged for several minutes already; this small breather was but a momentary lull in their fierce battle.

While Kiba had certainly been the most aggressive early on, he was now being forced more and more over on the defensive; while he could block the majority of his opponent's physical attacks, Sakon's brother had the ability to have his limbs appear from anywhere on the younger twin's body. The unpredictability of their attacks left Kiba with little other option but to defend himself as best he could. A thin line of blood ran from the left corner of Kiba's lip, a visible proof of where a surprising kick had broken one of the Inuzuka's teeth.

An angry bark sounded next to Kiba, and the maroon-haired teenager turned his eyes from his opponent to regard his friend. Akamaru was still eager to fight, Kiba realised, the small white dog urging him to attack again. Despite being well aware of the fact that they were outmatched, Kiba smiled at Akamaru's enthusiasm. "Right, Akamaru, let's do it again." Akamaru barked again in acknowledgement, and Kiba dropped to all four, Akamaru immediately leaping onto his back. All the while, their opponent simply stood calmly before them, regarding them with a confident grin. He had seen the same attack several times already, and knew what to expect from the Konoha shinobi.

A moment later, there were two versions of Kiba, one on top of the other. Both sported long claws and a feral expression on their faces, fangs bared in an animalistic snarl as they regarded their target. When Sakon made no motion to move, the Konoha shinobi moved instead, Kiba's two forms beginning to circle their opponent in opposite circles, like predators measuring a challenging prey. Still the Sound elite refused to acknowledge the threat of the two half-beasts surrounding him, his eyes following their advances calmly.

Snarling, one of the two half-beast forms suddenly lunged forward, his body twisting into a drill-like spin as he charged straight for his unmoving foe. But, having expected the attack, Sakon was naturally ready for it. Adopting a combat stance and reaching out his hands, the Sound shinobi took the attack head-on. Grabbing onto his opponent's hands, Sakon forced Kiba out of the spin, leaving the two of them locked against each other, hands entwined. Kiba snarled in frustration as he stared into the irritatingly calm eyes before him, their faces only a foot apart.

Beads of sweat started to appear on Kiba's forehead as the two teenagers tried to overpower each other, both trying to force the other back. Kiba knew that it was only a matter of time before a foot or an arm appeared unexpectedly to strike at him, and the uncertainty of the situation was getting to him. Still, he just had to hold on for a little bit longer. "You'll have to do better than this, trash," his opponent taunted him, seemingly unaffected by their struggle, as if he was simply playing with him. Kiba's eyebrows narrowed slightly, before something behind Sakon caught his gaze, making the Inuzuka's lips tweak into a small smile. "You asked for it. Go, Akamaru!"

Sakon turned his head with a quizzical expression on his face, to see the other half-beast form, this one being Akamaru, spinning towards him like a drill, intent on striking his unprotected back while Kiba held him in place. But rather than appear affected by the imminent attack, as Kiba had expected, the pale-haired teen simply reclined his head slightly in the direction of the other head hanging unmoving from his shoulder. "Hey Ukon, you wanna give me a hand here?" Sakon asked, his voice casual, and no sooner had he spoken the words, before the so-far quiet head twitched. It then turned to regard Kiba, dark eyes staring straight at the young Konoha shinobi. "This guy again?" Ukon spoke, his voice somewhat darker than his younger twin. "I'm tired, Sakon. Don't tell me you can't handle someone like this on your own?" he asked, his tone carrying irritation with an undertone of taunting.

The younger twin simply huffed at this remark. "Fine, I'll handle them both myself then," he said, as his eyes once again turned in Kiba's direction. Kiba steeled himself, knowing that an attack was coming, and yet he was caught unprepared as Sakon suddenly changed his grip on Kiba's hands and tossed the Inuzuka to the side like a bag of potatoes. Kiba landed on his hands and knees in the mud, and turned his head around in time to see Sakon landing a powerful roundhouse kick to Akamaru's chin, breaking the spinning drill that had been about to hit him. Akamaru landed next to Kiba in the mud, now back in his regular form as a small, white dog.

Kiba crawled over, cradling his companion in his arms. Akamaru whimpered apologetically as he was picked up in his friend's arms. Kiba ran his fingers over the small canine's head, wiping some of the mud from the strands of short, white fur. "It's okay Akamaru, we can do this," he muttered, as his gaze wandered to Sakon, who stood a little distance away, sneering at them. The Sound elite spread his arms, a mocking grin playing over his lips. "Are you two giving up? No big surprise though. Trash like you will always be on the losing side," he taunted, the belief of superiority clearly visible in his eyes.

This wasn't working. Kiba realised that much. Even if he knew the fighting style of his opponent, the differences in their strengths were too great for him to overcome. The last time they had fought, the Sand shinobi had come to his aid, but he did not expect the same thing to happen today. He and Akamaru were on their own, and they were being defeated. They simply were not strong enough, regardless of their intensive training in the wake of the last rescue mission. They still hadn't learned any new techniques since then, which meant that the Sound shinobi could simply counter their attacks the same way as the last time.

As Kiba stared at his opponent, an idea suddenly formed in his head, his eyebrows ascending his forehead as an expression of realisation spread over his features. That was it. If the Sound shinobi knew their every take already, he would know how to counter them effectively. This, however, could be used to Kiba's advantage. A plan slowly began to grow into fruition in his mind.

Sakon watched with interest as his opponent slowly stood up again, his movements slow and laboured, and it was obvious that he was in pain. The gray-haired Sound elite knew the match would be over in a minute. Actually, he was surprised the mutt had held out for so long. But now it was time to finish this fight, and claim himself the victor. He would take the Leaf trash's final attack, and then kill him off.

"Let's do this, Akamaru!" Kiba yelled, and the small canine barked enthusiastically in reply. Sakon observed them with a smile, ready to counteract their every effort at turning the tide of the fight. Kiba reached into his weapon pouch, and retrieved all of his smoke bombs. Smiling slightly at his opponent, the Leaf shinobi then threw the handful of smoke bombs onto the ground. A large cloud of thick, gray smoke immediately covered the area surrounding Kiba and his companion, making Sakon lose visual contact with them momentarily. He gazed into the large cloud of thick smoke, trying to discern his opponent's location.

In the next moment, Sakon's eyes finally found the person they were searching for, although Kiba was no longer a person, per se. In his place, a huge, white wolf emerged from the cover of the smoke screen, its two massive heads sniffing the air, muscular necks bulging as the thick skulls swung from side to side in search of their prey. Giant paws with sharp, black claws sent up showers of thick mud as it stepped forward from the thick cloud. Despite the size of the beast looming only a couple of dozen metres before him, Sakon simply smiled. They kept using the same old techniques, meaning that he had already won. They didn't stand a chance.

Two pairs of golden canine eyes focused on the pale Sound shinobi, their predatory gaze scrutinising him. Two massive jaws opened, tongues panting slightly as they stared him down. For a moment, the opponents simply regarded each other, before the great white beast sprung into action. Its massive legs brought it forward in a couple of leaps before it jumped into the air, its body twisting into a rapid spin. As the huge white wolf spun faster and faster, it shot towards the unmoving Sound shinobi, a massive canine drill of death and destruction.

"It's useless!" Sakon yelled, a triumphant, almost maniacal grin on his face as he formed a quick series of hand seals, before slamming his palms down into the ground. As the potent chakra surged into the soggy earth, the ground began rumbling under his feet. Right in front of the gray-haired Sound shinobi, a massive structure rose into existence, surrounding trees toppling as the demon gate rose to its full height. A leering demon face loomed over the large, white drill that hurtled towards it. Safe behind the massive Rashomon, Sakon grinned. He could hardly believe they were stupid enough to try the same attack as last time.

Like the last time Kiba and Sakon had fought, the young Inuzuka's most powerful attack slammed into the huge construction at punishing speed, seemingly doing insignificant damage despite its speed and mass. But unlike their previous encounter, Sakon's triumph was to be short lived. As it hit the massive gate, the great, two-headed wolf simply puffed out of existence in a cloud of smoke.

Sakon's formerly triumphant eyes widened in surprise, as he watched the white smoke which had been his opponent a moment ago dissipate rapidly in the humid air. Suddenly the ice wall of confidence in his mind was shattered and crumbled, as he realised that he currently had no idea where his opponent was. His eyes swerved quickly from side to side, warily scanning the area around him. Could he be hiding behind one of the fallen trees? No, not likely. Sakon turned his head from left to right, his gaze finding nothing. Above? No. Then... Sakon lowered his eyes to the ground, only now recognising the slight tremble in the soil below him. His purple lips pulled back in a snarl of realisation, as he tried to move away. Alas, it was too late. Before his widening eyes, a pair of giant, white jaws erupted from the soggy ground below him. The Sound shinobi leapt up in the air, trying to get clear, but he knew he had failed when he felt sharp canine teeth closing around his lower legs.

Pain, exquisite pain, ran through Sakon's legs as he was lifted into the air, the huge white two-headed wolf standing to its full height. Sakon dangled by his legs from one of the large canine jaws, as the other head turned to regard him with cold, golden eyes. The orbs seemed to pierce Sakon with their gaze, as he met the predatory stare without flinching. "How?" Sakon was surprised to hear the words coming from his own lips. He simply couldn't stop himself from wondering. He had to know how he had ended up in this compromising situation. "How did you do that?" he asked again, staring straight into the two golden orbs regarding him coldly.

The two large eyes simply stared at him for a moment, before the canine head turned to look at something behind its large, furred body. Sakon followed its gaze, his eyes widening as he suddenly realised how he had been tricked. Behind the great beast, the thick smoke cloud was finally dissipating, revealing a wide hole drilled straight into the soggy ground. For a moment, Sakon simply stared at the hole, the truth of how he had thrown away his victory by being cocksure slowly sinking in. Then, his eyebrows furrowed, his face contorting into an expression of anger.

"You damn trash!" Sakon yelled defiantly, as he brought his hands together to begin forming hand seals. He would show this upstart mutt that he had not won just yet. However, before he had created more than a few seals with his hands, he felt a shadow descend over him. Looking up, he saw the huge jaws open up and close towards him. An expression of terror painted the Sound elite's face, and the cry that erupted from his dark lips was abruptly cut off as the wolf's teeth closed over his upper body. For a horrible, long-drawn moment there was a struggle, as the two wolf heads pulled the teen's body in two different directions. Then, in an explosion of blood and intestines, Sakon came apart at the waist, splatters of crimson colouring the muddy grown below. As one, the two heads dropped their respective parts of the dead Sound shinobi, and the wolf disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Kiba spat a thick globe of saliva on the ground, still feeling the taste of Sakon's blood in his mouth. "Damn, that was nasty," the Inuzuka muttered, half to himself, as he stared down at the mess they had made. Akamaru yipped in reply, obviously wondering if his best friend was okay. Kiba smiled towards the small, white dog and sat down against the trunk of a tree, wincing slightly at the pain rushing through various bruises covering his body. "Don't worry Akamaru, I'm fine," he promised, as he pulled his companion into his lap. For the two of them, the fight was definitely over. Even without all their bruises and minor injuries, their exhaustion and depleted chakra would prevent them from fighting for a good while. Kiba leant back against the trunk of the fallen tree, relaxing his muscles as his mind wondered how the others had fared. He stared up at the sky above, where the dark clouds seemed to be slowly breaking up. He thought he could even see the first glimmers of sunlight piercing through the black mass that covered the sky above the canopy.

Kiba knew that out of his three friends, Shikamaru had the most difficult fight. But as he stared at the remains of his own opponent, he felt a smile of optimism curving his lips slightly. He himself had just proven that even if you were weaker than your opponent, it was possible to outwit a stronger foe. And if anyone were capable of outsmarting another person, it had to be Shikamaru.

**To Be Continued...**

Well, that's it for this time! As usual, I would be very happy if you took your time to review (especially since it's my birthday -hint hint- ) ;-)

Until next time!

Haraio


	25. Chapter 25: Out on a Limb

I do not believe this.

I think this has to be the fastest update in the history of this fanfic. Then again, this chapter is pretty short, and it was already halfway done when I uploaded the previous chapter. Still, I won't be complaining. I know you're all used to slow updates from me, so I'm happy to be able to provide a quick update for once :)

As always, my faithful proof reader is Natasja. Big applause for her!

Anyways, on with the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters

**Chapter 25: Out on a limb**

White teeth reflected in a flat gold surface as Kidoumaru grinned triumphantly, the dark, leathery skin of his face creasing with the facial expression. He shifted his grip on the golden spike in one of his six hands, as he gazed down at his opponent. Shino was struggling against the sticky mass of the spider web that currently glued his upper right arm to the tree trunk, with no apparent success. Kidoumaru was a little distance away, hanging upside from a large branch by way of the chakra under his soles, staring down at his immobilized prey. Everything had gone to plan, the grin on the Sound elite's lips testament to his satisfaction.

"The spider has caught a little bug in his web," the six-armed Sound shinobi declared, certain of his own superiority. He watched his opponent's struggles with amusement, knowing that he would not be able to break out of its hold with sheer force. Only chakra would be able to cut the strings of web, something Kidoumaru's previous opponent unfortunately had been capable of. That, and his own belief in his superiority, rendering him careless against the true power of his foe, had been his undoing. However, this time he had his opponent trapped, so he could take his time to play around a bit. What could possibly happen?

Shino, on the other hand, was now beginning to realise that he was in a tight spot. The web that wrapped around the majority of his upper arm held him in a vice grip, not relenting no matter how hard he pulled. This was not your ordinary spider web, he reasoned, realising suddenly that the web had to be infused with chakra in some way. Behind his sunglasses, the young Leaf shinobi's eyes narrowed. If that was the case, then it was bad news for him. He couldn't think of any way to cut the highly resistant strings of web. If only Hinata had been here, she would have been able to do it in a flash.

"Having fun?" Kidoumaru taunted from above, and as Shino raised his head to look at his opponent, he saw the Sound shinobi hanging upside down from a branch, a pair of golden spikes held in his hands. As soon as he noticed Shino's gaze turning to him, Kidoumaru threw the spikes, intentionally delaying between the first and the second. Shino's eyes narrowed, his free hand quickly reaching into the weapon pouch strapped to his upper thigh. He was just fast enough to deflect the first spike with a kunai, the second golden speak also bouncing away harmlessly a second later from meeting his knife. He was playing with him, Shino realised. His opponent was so confident in his spider web, that he didn't feel it necessary to kill Shino immediately. Maybe he could use that to his advantage.

Kidoumaru watched with interest as Shino reached into his weapon pouch again, producing two more kunai. He held the three throwing knives in his hand for a few moments, his eyes scrutinising his opponent and the distance between them. Then, he threw them. The kunai shot towards the Sound shinobi, at first glance aimed well, but as they closed Kidoumaru could see that they would miss. True enough, the three knives embedded themselves securely in the branch from which he hung, each hit making a distinct thud in the wet bark of the branch.

A scornful laugh echoed between the trees as Kidoumaru stared at the three knives lodged in the branch above him, before his golden eyes turned to Shino. "Where the hell are you aiming?" the Sound shinobi demanded to know as his laughter died down, an amused smile still on his lips. Shino remained quiet, not dignifying his opponent with an answer. Chuckling to himself, Kidoumaru shook his head slowly. "I don't know why I'm wasting my time toying with you. I hoped you would be more of a challenge, like that Hyuuga guy I fought last time," Kidoumaru taunted. _So he fought Neji before_, Shino thought to himself. "You're trash, and this match was already decided when you got caught by me," the Sound shinobi continued, a confident grin still playing on his face.

He had to play for time. Shino lifted his head to regard his opponent, and opened his lips to speak. "You should never underestimate an opponent," he said, and smiled slightly to himself as he noticed his opponent cocking an eyebrow in curiosity. Good, his whole attention was towards him. "The rat pushed into the corner is the one the cat should be most wary of," Shino warned him, but Kidoumaru simply laughed at his words.

"Even so, you're still a rat. What can you possibly do?" the Sound shinobi asked, three pairs of arms folded before him as he watched his prey. Shino smiled. He had waited long enough. Now he just hoped his gambit would pay off. Lifting his hand, he pointed at the tree branch that Kidoumaru was hanging from. "For your information, I was not aiming for you to begin with." Kidoumaru's smile weakened a fraction, as his golden eyes swung towards his feet. His mouth gawked open as he noticed a swarm of black insects swarming all over his lower right leg. _Where did they come from?_ he thought to himself, but the Leaf shinobi answered the unspoken question for him. "They were riding on the kunai I threw at you." Kidoumaru stared at his opponent, no longer smiling. Maybe he had underestimated him after all?

"Do you want to know an interesting fact about those insects?" Shino asked, as he lifted his free hand up in front of his face, his fingers beginning to form hand seals. Kidoumaru didn't answer, only stared at him, for once since their fight had begun unsure of what to do. "They can, in fact, absorb so much chakra that they...," Shino continued speaking, and as he spoke, the black mass on Kidoumaru's leg began swelling, each individual insect growing as they absorbed chakra from him. Too late, Kidoumaru realised that the real danger was not in the fact that they were absorbing some of his chakra, but in the side effect. He reacted too late, however, as Shino spoke the final word, coinciding with his last hand seal: "...explode."

The swarm of bugs, crawling all over Kidoumaru's lower leg like a living rash, detonated. The absorbed chakra energies, contained for as long as possible within the tiny bodies of the insects, ripped through clothing and flesh in a fraction of a second, and in the next moment, Kidoumaru was falling. Numbing pain surged up from his leg, and he didn't need to look to know that his right leg now ended in a bloody stump a few inches below the knee. Firing a string of web from his hand, Kidoumaru corrected his fall, leaving him dangling in midair. "You fucking trash! Argh!" the Sound shinobi screamed in pain and anger, as he formed the required hand seals to bring out his most powerful attack; his bow and arrow. He was done playing. The little trash who had crippled him would die now.

For Shino, it was a small victory. Up until now, their battle had been one-sided, with Shino achieving very little while his opponent toyed with him. That had changed now. Now, he had dealt a real blow to his opponent, making him aware of the fact that he could not simply toy with an Aburame and get away with it. Still, it was not enough to win the battle. Shino was still stuck to the trunk of the tree, and while the crippling injury would slow his opponent, it would not put him out of commission. As if to emphasize the point, a large bow appeared in Kidoumaru's hand.

"Die!" the Sound elite yelled in fury, as he placed a long, needle-tipped arrow on the bowstring and pulled back. But even as Kidoumaru drew back the string of the bow, Shino was already preparing the best countermeasure he could think of. The Aburame lifted his hand, and from his sleeve thousands upon thousands swarmed, forming into a black cloud before him. With the great mass of insects swarming and clouding the air in front of him, Shino could feel it more than see it as Kidoumaru released the string, sending the arrow screaming straight towards his chest. With a willing thought from their master, the thousands of insects threw themselves bodily into the path of the powerful shot.

While one insect would have had pitifully little impact on the arrow, the great mass of tiny insects threw themselves against it as it shot straight through them, forcing the shaft precious inches towards the right. It was just enough. Rather than strike the young Aburame in the chest, killing him instantly, the arrow struck him in the shoulder. For a fraction of a second, Shino felt the tip of the arrow pierce his flesh. Then, the tree he was bound to exploded into splinters, and Shino was suddenly falling.

The world seemed to slow down. Shino felt himself fall, wind rushing past him as the powerful energies of the arrow threw him away from the tree. He looked up, towards where he had been hanging, and amidst the splinters of wood, he could clearly see the lower half of his right arm, falling towards the ground far below. It was odd, seeing his own arm, still clad in his trademark gray trench coat, so far away from himself. His gaze wandered towards his shoulder. The arrow had clipped his arm clean off, right below the shoulder joint. Shino stared at the stump that had been his right arm for a moment, his mind trying to process the absence of the limb.

The world suddenly sped back up as Shino crashed bodily into a large branch, his stomach slammed against the hard wood. The wind was knocked from his lungs, and only his shinobi instincts allowed him to scramble for a hold with his remaining arm before he fell further. Pain surged through him, white and hot, from his dismembered limb, and he cried out in agony as his nerves burned. He clung to the branch as best he could with one arm, his eyes watering from the near-overwhelming throbbing in his right shoulder. The pain scrambled every conscious thought in his mind, and he struggled to even think straight against the overwhelming agony of having one of his limbs torn off.

Shino was barely aware of his opponent landing on the same branch that he himself was clinging to. Kidoumaru touched down near the root of the branch, two of his hands supporting himself against the trunk of the tree in lieu of his missing leg. The Sound Elite's black eyes glared hatefully at the opponent who had crippled him so. It was time to finish this. Opening his mouth, Kidoumaru withdrew a lump of golden, semi-solid mass, which his nimble fingers quickly shaped into two elongated spikes. His stubborn opponent was defenceless, but that wasn't going to stop him from killing the Leaf shinobi.

As Kidoumaru readied himself to deliver the killing blow, the young Aburame simply lifted his head to regard his opponent through eyes blurred by pain. He had nothing left to fight his opponent with. Even if Shino had been in possession of any more strength, the numbing pain in his dismembered shoulder kept him from thinking of anything. So this was it. He had given it his all, but it was apparently not enough. Shino stared straight at into the black eyes of the Sound Elite, ready to accept the blow that would kill him.

Then, something behind Kidoumaru drew Shino's eyes. The tree behind the Sound shinobi seemed to come alive before his eyes, branches growing straight out from the trunk at incredible speeds. Not only did they grow, but it was as if they moved with a purpose. Long, tentacle-like branches reached out with surprising speed, and before Kidoumaru could react, the powerful vines had ensnared him. The six-armed shinobi's head tossed quickly from side to side, bewildered by the sudden and unexpected attack. He tried to struggle against the grip of the thick branches, but even in his second stage curse seal, the branches pulled him inexorably towards the trunk.

Shino's eyes widened and his mouth opened as he watched the trunk of the tree suddenly split. The tree opened up vertically, in a jagged, tooth-like line, like a massive mouth. Turning his head, Kidoumaru noticed the same thing, and began screaming and twisting as he was slowly dragged inside the wooden mouth of the tree. All his struggles were for naught, however, as a few seconds later the jaws closed down around him with a resounding crack of shattered bones. Kidoumaru's remaining foot, sticking out from the trunk of the tree, twitched a few times, before it fell to the ground far below, severed right below the knee.

As the silence descended upon the crippled Aburame, only broken by the steady drone of the rain, Shino stared at the spot where his opponent had been. Only a small splatter of blood indicated that there had ever been a human being there. Hundreds of questions buzzed through the young shinobi's mind, but the foremost one was: who did that? Shino's unspoken question was answered a few seconds later, as a figure suddenly emerged straight out of the tree. He seemed to materialize out of the wood itself, his colour turning from a dull brown to livelier, more human colours as he stepped out onto the branch. Behind the white porcelain mask depicting a striped cat, the ANBU stared down at the injured Genin, before he pressed a finger to his ear.

"Leaf shinobi Aburame Shino retrieved, heavily injured. One Sound operative has been disposed of," he spoke in a dull, monotone voice, and after a few seconds of silence, two other reports came in. "Leaf shinobi Hyuuga Hinata recovered. Moderately injured and with fluctuating chakra levels, proceeding with giving emergency assistance. Body of one Sound operative located," a female voice reported quickly and efficiently in his ear. The brown-haired ANBU acknowledged, and listened to the second report, stating that Inuzuka Kiba had been found with minor injuries and with the remains of a third Sound shinobi. Still, even with three Sound shinobi dead and accounted for, their mission was still not over. So far, no one had reported the retrieval of the last Leaf shinobi, nor the Sound defector Tayuya.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"You value her life more than your own?" Katsu's voice was filled with disbelief, as he stared at the boy standing before him, the same boy who had just declared that he treasured the redhead held securely in Katsu's grip more than his own life. The kid seemed serious in his statement, and a nod from him confirmed Katsu's question. This was not going to plan. Katsu's idea had been to recover Tayuya quickly and bring her back to Lord Orochimaru and then convince the Legendary Sannin that the girl would be more valuable alive. But now he was being held back by this little brat, and any minute now reinforcements could arrive from Konoha to spoil his plan. "Why?"

Shikamaru stared at Tayuya, his eyes meeting her chestnut orbs, as his mind thought about the question the man had just asked him. Despite his own intellect, it had taken him a long time to realise what he really felt for the brash, loud and independent redhead. Yes, she had a short temper and was prone to bursts of violence, but when she smiled it still made his heart beat faster. She was scary, but he still found her undeniably cute when he watched her sleep. In a way, he had found himself a scary and bossy woman, just like his old man, and the thought made him smile slightly.

"It took a long time for me realize it," Shikamaru said, the small smile playing on his lips as he stared directly into Tayuya's eyes. His eyes carried a surprising amount of warmth, as if their current situation didn't matter at all, and Tayuya found her gaze drawn inexorably to his. She could almost anticipate what he was going to say, yet it took her by surprise when he actually pronounced the words. It reminded her of when he had confessed to her in the clothes' store. "I love you, Tayuya, and I think you feel the same about me."

As the words Shikamaru had said slowly processed inside Tayuya's mind, blood began filling her cheeks as a blush crept over her face. He had said it. He had declared that he loved her, and as Tayuya searched her own heart, she could finally admit to herself that what he had said about her was true too. She did love him. After all they had gone through, and everything he had done for her, how could she not? Of course, they had already taken the steps beyond the simple declaration the day before, but hearing him say those words still made her cheeks heat up as if she was struck with a fever. Her chest was fluttering with happiness, but the feeling was somewhat quenched as she felt the grip around her tighten. Lifting her gaze, she stared up at the man holding her, to find his eyes narrowed in anger. The sight filled her with trepidation. For some reason, Shikamaru's statement had struck a nerve in the tall, muscular man, which did not bode well for her saviour's chances in the upcoming fight.

"I will just have to kill you, then," Katsu declared suddenly as he lifted his blade into the air, his muscular arm swinging the massive sword with ease. Tayuya stared worriedly at Shikamaru across the grassy field, her chestnut eyes imploring him to be careful. She did not want to see him wounded again. She would not be able to live with herself if he died for her. Not after everything he had already done for her.

In response to Katsu's declaration, Shikamaru quickly formed hand seals, his shadow expanding around his feet. As Tayuya watched Shikamaru's shadow shoot towards Katsu, she came to a horrifying realisation. They were in the middle of a grassy field, meaning Shikamaru had no additional sources of shadows to increase the reach of his special techniques. How was he supposed to defeat Katsu, if he couldn't reach him with the shadow? It seemed Katsu had realised the same thing, because the man simply stepped back a few feet. Shikamaru's eyes narrowed, as his shadow failed to reach the man despite the short distance between them. The triumphant smile on Katsu's face told Tayuya everything she needed to know. The fight had been hopeless from the very beginning, and especially now that Shikamaru could not use his most common technique.

The shadow dwindled back to surround Shikamaru's feet, and the young boy stood still for a few moments, eyes closed. He seemed to Tayuya to be lost in thought, which she took as a good sign. Maybe he had some sort of plan? The sky above them was dark with clouds, and the absence of the sun limited Shikamaru's options even more. A soft breeze rustled the rain-soaked grass around their feet, as Shikamaru finally opened his eyes. His fingers began forming shapes, and in the next moment there were three identical figures standing before the tall, dark-haired man. Tayuya stared at Shikamaru and his two clones. What was he planning? He couldn't possibly be hoping to fool Katsu with such a basic technique, right?

Before Tayuya had the chance to decipher Shikamaru's intentions, Shikamaru began moving. He and his clones charged straight forward towards their opponent, spaced a few metres apart. Tayuya wanted to cry out, to warn Shikamaru against the foolishness of his strategy, but her voice failed her. She could simply stare as the three versions of the person she loved approached within range of Katsu's ranged attack. Tayuya closed her eyes, not daring to see what would happen.

The man, Katsu, swung his great blade in a large, downwards arc. Chakra poured forth like a great extension of the blade itself, cutting deep into the soggy ground, dark mud flying around the powerful attack. Tayuya was shaken in Katsu's grip as his whole body moved with the motion of the swing, and as the movement ceased she hurriedly focused her eyes, to see whether Shikamaru was dead or injured. He was not. He was okay, although his clones were gone, replaced by thin, deep scars in the ground, each cut easily reaching the roughly dozen metres between the two combatants. Shikamaru had leapt back as Katsu cut his clones, leaving Shikamaru standing at roughly the same distance as before he had attacked. He had seemingly gained nothing from his headlong charge.

"You will have to do better than that, kid," Katsu stated confidently, his sharp teeth drawn into a small smirk. Easily, he hefted the large sword up to lean it casually against his shoulder, sparks of chakra still coruscating along the length of the massive blade. Shikamaru didn't answer, but instead formed the same hand seal once again, two more clones appearing beside him. Tayuya stared worriedly at her intended saviour as he once again rushed forward along with his clones, with the same outcome. Again the same thing occurred. Two more clones disappeared like mist before the sun; two more deep scars were cut in the ground. What was he doing? Didn't he have some sort of plan? To her, his repeated attempts seemed a desperate attempt at getting closer, and she couldn't for the life of her tell how he was intending to make any progress like this. The man holding her barely seemed to break a sweat from the repeated slashes from his blade, while Shikamaru appeared weaker and more exhausted with every futile attempt. Tayuya felt her hope slowly diminishing, as she watched Shikamaru's hopeless rescue attempt.

As Katsu dispatched the fourth pair of clones in the same manner, it seemed Katsu had finally had enough with playing. The smile was gone from his face, and he held the pulsating blade menacingly in his hand as he slowly stepped towards Shikamaru over the scarred ground. "Enough with the playing, kid. I don't have all day. Either you run, or I will kill you now," Katsu stated, his voice calm on the surface but with an ominous undertone that clearly indicated that he was at the end of his patience. Shikamaru breath was slightly laboured, as he stood hunched over, watching the tall man approaching. However, Shikamaru made no motion to attack. He simply kept watching as the man closed within ten metres of him.

"Well, if you put it that way," Shikamaru said suddenly, as he stood up to his full height, which was still not very impressive when standing opposite a muscular man of almost two metres in height. Still, there was now a small smile tugging on the edges of Shikamaru's lips, and this didn't pass unnoticed by Tayuya. She recognised that smile. It was the same smile he had shown her during their battle in the forest a few months ago, when she had fallen for his brilliant trap. For the first time since this whole mess had begun, Tayuya felt a glimmer of hope. The small smile on his lips filled her with a strange confidence. It was as if the dark clouds looming overhead suddenly seemed a tad less dark.

"I don't mind, because I'm done playing too," Shikamaru stated confidently. If Katsu had known Shikamaru like Tayuya did, he would perhaps have felt some form of alarm at the teen's sudden attitude. However, he did not, and continued to walk forward, until, suddenly, he could not move anymore. Something unseen was restraining his movements, rendering his muscles capable of moving even an inch. An expression of disbelief and surprise spread over the man's face, as he heard the next words coming from the pineapple-haired teenager standing opposite him, a small, triumphant smile playing over the latter's lips: "Shadow Manipulation Technique, success!"

**To Be Continued...**

Whoa, cliffhanger! How did Shikamaru manage to trap Katsu? How will the battle end? Will Shikamaru and Tayuya be able to continue their journey together? :D

As always, reviews are highly appreciated!


	26. Chapter 26: DoubleCrossed?

Here we go again. Once again, I'm late, and for that I apologize. This chapter has actually been done for about a week, but since this is a very short chapter, I wanted to get some more work done on the next one so that you won't have to wait so long between these two crucial chapters. Because we are now approaching the climax of this story, and I hope you will all enjoy it! If you are having trouble keeping up with what has happened due to the lengthy delays, you are of course more than welcome to go back and read through the story again to refresh your memories :-)

Anyway, it's time for the final, climactic fight between our two lovebirds and their nemesis! ENJOY!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

**Chapter 26: Double-Crossed?**

The downpour of cold, heavy rain had abated slightly in the past few minutes, allowing a glimmer of sunlight to begin breaking through the blackness in the sky far above. Though the darkness of the clouds still prevailed in the heavens, the black blanket was slowly turning lighter in places, hinting that the brilliant rays of the sun would soon pierce the suffocating veil of shadow and bathe the world in its gaze once again. The scene seemed to suggest hopefulness, the same emotion that slowly spread across Tayuya's features as the battle that had taken place before her eyes came to a sudden and unexpected halt. Her mind processed the words Shikamaru had spoken, and the glimmer of hope returned to her eyes as she realised what they meant. She scarcely dared to hope that it was true. The battle had seemed so one-sided up to this point that she naturally had her doubts about Shikamaru turning things around in such an abrupt manner. It was only when she noticed that her captor was trembling, that she finally accepted Shikamaru's words as truth.

"How did you catch me?" The tall, muscular man holding Tayuya ground the words out from between his teeth, his form visible shaking as he tried to struggle against the invisible power that currently held him immobile. The confident smile was gone from his face, replaced by disbelief and annoyance. He had held the outcome of their fight in the palm of his hand, and yet for some reason it had slipped from his grasp when he did not pay adequate attention. He felt ire at being tricked by this brat, and he glared at the young boy as the latter shrugged his shoulders almost imperceptibly.

"I'll show you, if you want," Shikamaru offered plainly, a small smile on his face. While he had felt there was a good chance his plan would succeed, he had been far from certain, and the sudden reversal of the situation helped his confidence. Maybe there was a chance that he and Tayuya would be able to get out of this fight in one piece after all. Shikamaru was determined to rescue Tayuya from being brought back to the horrible life she had sought to escape, and he was willing to risk his life to save her from that fate. Of course, the best outcome was if the two of them could go back to Konohagakure together, but if he could ensure Tayuya's safety, Shikamaru was not going to hesitate to give his own life. He really did care for her a lot.

Taking a slow step backwards, Shikamaru watched as his opponent involuntarily mimicked his action. Katsu's legs quivered with strain as he lifted first one foot and then the other, revealing Shikamaru's brilliant ploy. A thin, shadowy string touched Katsu's foot, and ran down into one of the many cuts in the ground from where the man's sword had slashed open the soggy earth. Similarly, another thin string connected Shikamaru's foot to a different fissure in the soil. As Katsu stared at the criss-cross of rends he himself had torn in the short grass between them, he realised what the boy had done, and as much as he hated to admit that he had been outsmarted, he was impressed by the young shinobi's strategic sense. The boy had even tricked Katsu himself into creating the necessary aid to help the Nara pull off his strategy.

"You knew your shadow wouldn't reach far enough without the presence of the sun, so you baited me into creating a way for you to conceal your shadow." Katsu spoke out loud, putting words to his reasoning, and Shikamaru nodded his head, confirming the man's theory. Katsu's eyes narrowed as his suspicion was confirmed, yet to Shikamaru's surprise he saw the hints of a smile playing on his opponent's lips. "I have to admit, I didn't expect you to be capable of something like that, kid," Katsu said, his face carrying an expression of calm although his muscles kept straining unsuccessfully against the hold of the shadow. The battle had taken an interesting turn somewhere, and though Katsu was angry with himself for getting caught off guard, he was also excited. He hated winning an easy fight, especially against mere children, and now it seemed he would indeed have to step up his game in order to emerge victorious.

Shikamaru smiled slightly. He had expected his opponent to underestimate him, and frankly, it had been his plan all along. Few people would go into a battle with their full strength if they felt confident in the difference of strength between themselves and their opponent, and Shikamaru had feigned his own weakness to lure the swordsman into a false sense of security. "I counted on exactly that," Shikamaru stated matter-of-factly, as he stretched out his right arm. Katsu was forced to mimic the movement, and his calm smile disappeared like dew before the sun, to be replaced by a scowl as he watched his trusted sword landing in the soaked grass by his feet. Having disarmed his opponent, Shikamaru let his arm fall, and turning his gaze to the kidnapped redhead, still held in a tight grip by the black-haired man.

Tayuya felt her kidnapper move slowly and carefully as he lowered her gently onto her feet. She could feel the wet grass against her feet, the moist straws tickling her toes through her open sandals. It felt like freedom, and Tayuya couldn't stop a small smile from grazing her lips. Almost unconsciously, she wiggled her toes a bit, feeling the straws of grass caressing her skin with their rain-soaked touch. She had been carried like a bag of potatoes for a good few hours, and being able to stand on her own two legs again was delightful to say the least. Smiling, she began walking towards her saviour. Behind her, her kidnapper regained his composure and began to speak. "Tayuya, you are making a big mistake," he said, but the redhead did not turn her head to look back. She kept walking, until she stopped in front of Shikamaru. She smiled, her cheeks warming slightly as he smiled back. "I've never been so happy to see that pineapple-hair of yours as now," she said, playfully mocking despite the fact that they were still in a battle, "I'm happy you're still in one piece, shithead." He responded by raising his left eyebrow only minimally, an unfazed gesture that she had used to found so annoying, his lips still curved into a small smile. "I'm glad you're okay too, Tayuya. We're not completely safe yet, though," he added, reminding her that they still had an opponent they needed to defeat.

Tayuya nodded softly, her smile diminishing somewhat as she moved out of the way to stand a little behind Shikamaru. With her flute destroyed, she had very little to contribute in this fight, and she was fully aware of the fact. Her physical strength was a little above average at best, and even if her shoulder and legs had been completely healed, she was not nearly strong enough to fight Katsu with her limited taijutsu skills. Similarly, her ninjutsu skills were not really adequate, and consisted mostly of barrier techniques, something that would hardly come into use in the current situation, unless she could somehow seal their opponent in a box while they made a run for it. She did not see that as likely to happen, however. Therefore, she got out of the way, allowing Shikamaru to turn his full attention to his opponent.

While Tayuya and Shikamaru had exchanged the few words, Katsu had stood idly and quiet, still securely immobilised by the Nara's shadow. As both teens turned their gazes to him, however, he smiled, a small chuckle leaving his thin lips as his amused eyes regarded them. "Okay, you've caught me. What are you going to do next?" he asked, his words mimicking Tayuya's thoughts. Their shared question was quickly answered, as Shikamaru begun forming a series of quick hand seals while maintaining the shadow's hold on the dark-haired man. Katsu lowered his gaze to his feet, his blood-red orbs widening as he realised that the dark shadows were creeping slowly up his legs, shadowy talons reaching up for him. Shikamaru was using the same technique he had used against her, Tayuya realised, as she watched the dark hands slowly move beyond Katsu's knees and further up his thighs.

What Tayuya also realised, however, was that Shikamaru's gambit would most likely not succeed, for a number of reasons. Firstly, simply getting to the point where he could immobilise his opponent had left Shikamaru exhausted. He was sweating and his breath was laboured, and Tayuya knew that with the added debilitating effect of his abdominal injury, he would not be able to keep up the pressure for long. Secondly, the distance between the two combatants was too great for Shikamaru to use his shadows to the maximum efficiency. Sure, the distance between him and Katsu was only about ten metres, but it was enough to weaken the effect of the shadowy limbs. Finally, the tall, muscular man was straining against the shadows in roughly the same way that Tayuya herself had done when she had been affected by the technique, the resistance slowing the advance of Shikamaru's shadows to a crawl.

Tayuya took in all of these observations at once, her sharp and capable mind immediately realising that Shikamaru would only be keep up the technique for perhaps a few more minutes before he would have to release Katsu. In his current condition, he simply did not have the necessary reserve of stamina or chakra to maintain a difficult technique like this for long. Shikamaru had probably realised this as well, and Katsu might have suspected it as well, seeing as the shadowy claws made little headway on their way up his legs.

Shikamaru gritted his teeth in frustration as he concentrated on maintaining his focus. He was exhausted from using so much chakra in his weakened condition, and at the moment he had to use all the concentration he could muster just to not let go of the technique. The shadowy claws he had conjured had stopped advancing just short of reaching his opponent's waist, and were now being slowly pushed back down his legs. Shikamaru was almost out of options. There was no way he would be able to defeat a strong opponent like the black-haired swordsman in his current condition, or save Tayuya from being taken away. Desperately, he turned his head, seeing Tayuya standing behind him in the corner of his eye. Her eyes were on him, her expression worried. Shikamaru realised that she was just as concerned as him. "Tayuya," he forced the word out, his voice breaking momentarily as he strained to stay in control of his technique, almost losing his grip from the lapse of concentration. "Tayuya, you need to run. I will keep him busy, just run," Shikamaru said pleadingly, ignoring the shocked expression on the redhead's face. His primary goal was getting Tayuya to safety, even at the cost of his own life. Keeping her from having to go back to her old life was something that he was willing to risk his own life for.

The redhead could hardly believe what she was telling him. He was actually expecting her to run away while he sacrificed himself for her! How would she be able to live with herself if he did that? She had already resolved not to let him save her at his own expense again, and yet he now suggested that she lived while he died. "No, I won't run," she rejected his suggestion defiantly, her hands balling into fists as she stubbornly stood her ground. His head tilted slightly to the side as his eye stared at her pleadingly. "Tayuya, please-", he began, but the redhead interrupted him before he could say another word: "No!" she repeated more forcefully, settling the issue once and for all. She would not run like a frightened rabbit. If they could not win, she would rather die by his side than to be taken back to Orochimaru and leave him to die from exhaustion and chakra depletion, alone here in the forest. She cared for him, and she wanted to be with him to the bitter end. Again, a small voice in her head remarked about how quickly she had come to trust and care for him, despite her past. She paid it no heed. All her attention was on the matter at hand.

"Tayuya. You know as well as me that Lord Orochimaru will not give up on retrieving you. You are too important to him to ignore." The redhead in question gritted her teeth in anger as the tall, black-haired man spoke. He hardly seemed to be affected by the fight, his forehead barely showing any sign of perspiration. His crimson eyes were on her, completely ignoring the boy sitting on one knee between them, even as Katsu was forcing back the black appendages which had still not completely abandoned their attack on him. What he said was correct, of course. Being a former elite shinobi in service of Orochimaru, she possessed much information about her former master and about his many hideouts, information which would be worth its weight in gold to anyone who wanted to oppose the Snake-Sannin. "Let's be reasonable," Katsu continued, speaking calmly despite the situation, as if a fight like this was an everyday occurrence to him. "He doesn't have to die. If you will just come with me, I will let him live." Tayuya didn't need to ask who he was referring to. It was obvious, and she noticed Shikamaru stiffening slightly as he was mentioned.

"Tayuya, don't," Shikamaru said, but Tayuya could already see that their situation was truly hopeless. In a minute or so, Shikamaru would be out of strength, and their stinging defeat would be a fact. As much as she hated to admit it, her kidnapper was right. There was still a chance that Shikamaru could survive if she just came along willingly and without any fuzz. He did not have to die for her. Tayuya's resolve began to crumble bit by bit as the thought was allowed to sink in and fester, like an infection in a wound. He would not have to sacrifice his life for her, but that would irrevocably denote her return to the hellish existence that awaited her upon her return to Orochimaru.

"There is only one way the both of you can survive, and that is if you come with me," Katsu kept up the verbal pressure on the already-wavering redhead, his lips crooking slightly as he noticed that she was faltering in her determination. He was correct; Tayuya knew this. Several paths lay before her, and only a single one would allow both her and Shikamaru to live on. Down every other path, death lurked for either one or both of them. There really was no choice to make. There was only one choice she could possibly make in this situation. She wanted him to survive. She loved him; for all their differences, he was the only one who had ever cared for him for who she was, and she did not want all his sacrifices to be in vain.

She knew that he would not let her go willingly. If she left, and he tried to stop her, the swordsman would probably strike him down in cold blood. Tears began welling up in Tayuya's eyes. She would have to take him down by herself, to stop him from interfering, and thereby hopefully ensuring that he would live. "Tayuya, don't listen to him," Shikamaru urged her again from between clenched teeth, his face flushed with effort as he poured the last of his strength into a final push. The shadowy claws ceased their retreat and began slowly pushing forward again, but it was too little too late. Tayuya could see that Shikamaru would not be able to keep up the pressure for more than a few additional moments, and that it would all be over before she knew it. The swordsman's words echoed in her mind. There really was only one way the both of them could survive. It all had to end now.

Tayuya swallowed hard. Her throat and mouth suddenly felt inexplicably dry. Lowering her gaze, her chestnut eyes found the kunai which Shikamaru had thrown at the very beginning of the fight. It lay in the rain-soaked grass before her feet, the metal glinting softly, inviting her with its lure. The handle pointed in her direction, while the sharp tip was aimed straight for Shikamaru's exposed back. Again she tried to swallow, and again her mouth failed to provide any moisture to her parched throat. She did not want to do this, but it really was the only way they could end this. With trembling hands, Tayuya bent down, her slender fingers slowly gripping the cold handle of the knife. For some reason, it felt almost unbearably heavy in her hand, as she rose gradually to her full height. A voice in her mind cried for her not to do it like this, but she knew it was the only way she could live with herself. There was no way around it. With reluctant steps, she advanced towards her young saviour, her gaze fixed upon his unprotected back.

Beads of perspiration slowly trailed their way down Shikamaru's temple and neck, his eyes narrowed in concentration as he stared straight at his opponent. His brain was working overtime, trying to focus on maintaining the technique while his mind simultaneously worked its way through a dozen different plans. He was desperately trying to find a way to get them out of the current situation, but every idea he came up with was quickly scrapped. For every plan he managed to devise, he simply lacked the means to pull it off. He simply did not have enough chakra to maintain his technique for much longer, and he could think of no other way to defeat this man. It would only be a matter of seconds before he would have to release the shadow's hold on his opponent, and when that happened they would be screwed.

Shikamaru suddenly became aware of the fact that Katsu was smiling, but the dark-haired man's gaze was not on him, instead resting on something behind Shikamaru's back. The young Nara suddenly felt an inexplicable chill running down his spine, like a trickle of icy cold water, and he now realised that Tayuya was standing a lot closer than she had done just a few seconds ago. Slowly, Shikamaru turned his head to look at the girl he loved. She stood right behind him, her trembling fingers clutching a kunai, her expression hard and unreadable like the wall of stone surrounding Konoha. Shikamaru was completely paralysed; he couldn't even begin to think about moving. He stared at the girl who he had taken in after her desperate escape, the girl who had opened up to him more and more over the course of the last month. Though she had certainly been violent and coarse initially, she had become more comfortable with him as time had progressed. He had been so certain that he had uncovered the real her, by breaking down all the walls and protective layers that her past had erected around her heart. Now, however, the only thought that went through his mind was whether the redhead had somehow tricked him all along.

**To Be Continued...**

Oh no! What is Tayuya going to do? :O


	27. Chapter 27: A Knife to the Heart

Finally! I can't believe how long it took to write this rather short chapter. I struggled quite a bit with the beginning, and with making the dialogue sound believable. I'm still not quite satisfied with it, yet at the same time I feel it's the best I can manage at the current time.

I originally planned to have this chapter and the previous one as a single chapter, since they were both kind of short, but I wanted to maintain the cliffhanger a bit longer :)

As always, big thanks go out to my girlfriend Natasja, and to all you people who continue reading my story despite the huge delays between every chapter :) You guys keep me going!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

**Chapter 27: A Knife to the Heart**

Shikamaru felt a chill run down his spine as he stared up at Tayuya. This had not been a factor he had taken into any of his plans. She had not made any move yet, but he was not stupid. His brain processed every bit of information; her expression, her posture, the way she clenched the sharp kunai in her hand. It all led to one and only one conclusion. Desperately, he tried to fish in her expression, searching for something, anything which might signify that she had not betrayed him. He couldn't find it. She stood behind him as he kneeled on one knee in the wet grass, still as a statue. Just when he was beginning to wonder when she would make her move, she lifted her left hand, reaching out for him.

Even if Shikamaru had had any strength left in his body after his lengthy fight with the swordsman, he would still not have been able to resist Tayuya. As she reached down, her fingers grasped the collar of his jacket in a steel grip, and he felt himself being pulled to his feet. His legs felt weak, tingling not only with fatigue and weariness but also a sense of complete helplessness. Tayuya held him up effortlessly, her strong grip once again reminding him of the physical strength belied by the frail appearance of her physique. Shikamaru swallowed as he stared into her eyes. Her chestnut orbs were unreadable like a murky pond, bereft of the spirited beauty she had displayed in the past few days, and he was reminded of the first time he had seen her eyes while in prison. He could see hints of the same pain and desperation he had seen then, covered by the same thin layer of determination and feigned strength, veiled by an unwillingness to show weakness before others. She was as lost as he was, he realized, and he wondered if this was how she was planning to survive when backed into a corner; by severing all bonds that she had made and survive on her own.

Tayuya's lips trembled as she opened them to speak, and he could see the hesitation in her eyes as the veil of steely determination momentarily slipped from her gaze. "This is the only way," she muttered, as if trying to comfort herself with the words, and as Shikamaru lowered his gaze to the kunai in her hand, he saw her knuckles white with strain. Suddenly, her arm stabbed up towards him. Shikamaru's eyes widened with shock as he watched a splatter of blood arching through the air before his eyes, courtesy of the weapon in the redhead's hand. He stared at her, wide-eyed, not quite believing what she had done. "Tayuya…" The girl in question had a pained expression on her face, as she withdrew the kunai, the tip stained in crimson blood. Shikamaru tried to say something more, but the fierceness inhabiting Tayuya's brown eyes silenced him, her determined gaze strangling his words before they had even left his lips. "Don't." she warned him with a quiet hiss, before she let go of the fabric of his jacket and left Shikamaru's body in the grasp of gravity.

Shikamaru landed on his back in the soaked grass. Droplets of cold water struck his face as he stared up at the girl he loved, her red hair in wet cascades around her granite face. The rain graced her facial features, and Shikamaru thought for a moment that the cold droplets of rain water running down her cheeks looked like tears. Despite being completely worn out, his muscles screaming with exhaustion, he tried to get up. He had almost managed to sit up fully, when a sandaled foot trod roughly on his stomach, pushing him unceremoniously back down again. He felt the air leave him as the foot applied more force, and a sharp stab of pain in his injured side made him wince. He stared up at Tayuya, who was the one who had stepped on him. She held him down with her left foot, the same way she would have held down an injured enemy in preparation for the _coup de grâce_. He almost expected her to do it. But she didn't show any signs of preparing a killing blow. She just pinned him to the ground, while seemingly considering what her next action would be. Then, she spoke again, her voice quiet. "Just stay down, Shikamaru, and don't make this any harder than it needs to be," she said, and her expression softened slightly, letting him see the concern that resided in her chestnut eyes. "Please." At that moment, it dawned upon him that no matter what she was going to do, she still cared for him.

Lifting her foot from Shikamaru's gut, Tayuya gave the boy a final, lingering gaze. As much as Shikamaru tried, he could not decipher the intentions in her clear, brown eyes. It was like trying to judge the facial expression of a person he could barely see through a thick mist. The connection between their eyes lasted several moments, before the redhead closed her chestnut orbs with a visible effort of will. She didn't look back as she walked the short distance towards the man who would take her back to her former master.

Katsu had been watching the incident with a smile on his thin lips, his body relaxed ever since Tayuya had moved behind Shikamaru. Now he stood before her as she walked up to him, like a father welcoming a long-lost daughter. He smiled down at her, standing a good head taller than her. "It's good that you finally made the smart choice, Tayuya," he said, his confidence soaring at her surrender.

"You were right, after all," Tayuya said, a weak smile on her lips as she looked up at the tall, muscular man standing before her. Katsu stared at the redhead standing before him, her drenched, crimson hair framing her smiling face as she gazed at him. Her smile aroused within him the same feelings he had felt the day he had saved her, back when she was just a child. Now she stood before him as a young woman, the same smile of appreciation on her face. He felt his chest flutter at her proximity, and he knew that he had finally triumphed. "This is the only way it can end."

Katsu smiled with satisfaction as the realization of his success sank in. He had managed to convince the last remaining Sound Elite to come back willingly, a feat which Orochimaru had believed to be impossible. Now his master would undoubtedly be very pleased with him. Getting down on one knee, Katsu looked at his blade as his hand reached for the hilt. But as his fingers wrapped around the dark leather grip, he suddenly stiffened, his crimson eyes going wide. Slowly, he raised his gaze to the young girl standing in front of him, his own impressive height leaving their gazes nearly level despite the fact that he was kneeling. Tayuya was no longer smiling, her eyes cool like morning dew and her expression hard as steel. Her right arm was stretched out towards him, and as Katsu's eyes followed the slender limb down towards her hand, his gaze was drawn towards the glint of metal that was held between her fingers. Her knuckles were white as she clenched the kunai tightly, its sharp tip embedded in the center of Katsu's chest.

For a few, tranquil moments he felt nothing. Katsu simply stared at the weapon that had pierced his flesh, watching as his lifeblood slowly seeped out from the wound, tainting the dark gray metal with a thick, crimson hue. His shirt turned darker around the kunai as his blood stained the gray cotton, and he could feel more warm droplets trickling down his chest and stomach. He didn't feel much physical pain from the wound. What pained him, however, was staring as the redhead's cold expression as she held onto the kunai embedded in his chest. He had truly believed he had finally convinced her to join him, and that she had finally returned what he felt for her. The emotional pain was greater than any physical agony could ever equal.

"W-why?" he choked out slowly with obvious effort, a thin trickle of blood slowly oozing from the edge of his lips as his trembling gaze focused on the young teenage girl standing before him, staring defiantly back. Her eyes were filled with loathing, not for him, but for the greater force he represented. "You can't protect me from Orochimaru," Tayuya said, consciously stopping herself from adding the "-sama" which had been near-literally beaten into her head from a tender young age. "Even if he would listen to you, the knowledge I possess poses a threat to all his fucking operations, and he knows that my loyalty to him is compromised from my stay in Konohagakure," Tayuya continued, her voice much calmer than she felt. The man who stood before her had raped her in the past, and as much as she hated him, her hate for his master, her own former master and mentor, was so much greater that it overshadowed the crimes the swordsman had committed against her younger self.

"Besides," Tayuya added before hesitating slightly. She turned her head, her wet hair glistening in the trickle of sunlight which begun to pierce the dark clouds. Her brown eyes found the body lying in the grass a little distance away, and her expression softened slightly. She was sure Shikamaru could hear everything she said, even if she made no effort to raise her voice for him. "Even if I could go back, a part of me would die. When I'm with him, I feel like I can be the real me." She made no point in detailing who the person she talked about was. They all knew who the person she was referring to was.

Katsu had listened quietly to Tayuya's words, the trickle of blood from his chest and from the corners of his mouth having intensified as the moments lingered on. His breath was heavy, and Tayuya knew it would not be long now. The kunai had done its cruel work. She slowly withdrew the knife from the kneeling man's chest, her fingers relinquishing it as soon as the tip was free. It landed before her feet, the crimson blood staining the rain-heavy blades of grass.

The memories had come back in frightening clarity the longer she had spent in the presence of the man before her. She remembered the first time she had seen him, and the initial happiness of seeing someone who would fight for her. How he had saved her from the men trying to rape her, and then how he himself had done the same thing, shattering her trust like glass. She could recollect the pain and fear as his large body moved above her own frail figure, how she had tried to struggle and fight against him. Her resistance had borne no fruit, and eventually she had given up, resigning herself to lie back with tears in her eyes and let him carry on. True, he had been gentler than most who had raped her, but it had been rape nonetheless. In the wake of the deed, he had even held her close as he fell asleep in the grass next to the road where he had encountered her. Tayuya, however, had not felt like having an afterglow-cuddle, and had slipped away at the first opportunity. Since then, she had not seen him until he came to kidnap her from Konohagakure today, seven years later.

Tayuya turned her eyes to her former rapist, her brown eyes filled with disgust towards him. "I'm now a shinobi of Konohagakure, and I'm cutting my ties with that bastard Orochimaru and his fucking village for good," the redhead declared fiercely. Okay, so maybe she wasn't a shinobi of the village just yet, but that was how she felt. Her loyalty was not as much with the village though, as with the boy who was lying in the grass a little distance away, listening to what was being said.

Katsu coughed, blood splattering over the grass in front of Tayuya's feet as the man tried to expel the crimson liquid welling up from his throat. He stared at the girl standing in front of him, his eyes desperate. "I…I remember…the day I," he began, before he coughed again, more blood leaving his mouth to colour the soaked ground. "…the day I met you… I…saved you," the words were passionate despite the strain of forcing them out amidst the blood. Tayuya shook her head slowly, her chestnut eyes hiding the sadness she felt behind a thin veil of determination. "You didn't save me, you asshole. You raped me."

Katsu's eyes widened, and Tayuya could see him visibly struggling to deny her words in his mind. "No. No no no." he stammered, his words interrupted by another cough and more blood leaking like a faulty faucet past his lips. He was breathing harder, his sharp teeth visible past his lips as he stared at Tayuya, a wild yet pained expression on his face. "I saved-." Another violent cough, wet and hacking, cut his words short. Crimson droplets spattered on Tayuya's shorts, but she paid it no heed. "I…I lo…loved.." Tayuya waited for the rest of the words, but Katsu couldn't speak anymore. For a long, painful moment, his crimson eyes stared into hers, pleadingly. The blood in his throat choked the life out of the last words he wanted to speak, and as the crimson fluid filled his lungs the tall, muscular man slumped sideways onto the grass, like a puppet with its strings severed.

Tayuya stood still before the fallen body. Her legs were trembling, her knees all but shaking. Facing one of her rapists down like this had been a huge mental taxation on her, and even staring at his body now she felt almost sick. His eyes were still open, staring up at her, but those crimson orbs were now devoid of life. With a surge of will, she tore her gaze away from the lifeless eyes, and turned. She ran, not once looking back, over to where Shikamaru was still lying in the soaked grass.

"For a moment I actually believed you were going to kill me," Shikamaru said as Tayuya reached him, a small, appreciative smile on his face as she kneeled next to him. The surge of relief made him feel light-headed, and the expression of elation on the redhead's face told him that she felt the same. Tayuya quirked an eyebrow at his comment, returning the smile as she ignored the feeling of cold rain water seeping through the knees of her pants as she kneeled on the soggy ground. "You didn't believe I was going back to that snake bastard, did you? Just goes to show how much of an idiot you are." Shikamaru couldn't help but chuckle at her playful taunt. The fact that she could still joke in a situation like this filled him with confidence. It was almost as if none of this had happened. She was still the same old Tayuya, and he was happy for the fact.

Tayuya placed her right hand under Shikamaru's neck, helping him sit up, concern tainting the smile on her features as she looked at him. "Are you okay? Can you sit?" she asked as her eyes wandered over his body, trying to judge if he was seriously injured, but Shikamaru interrupted her as he took hold of her left wrist and lifted it. "Tayuya, your hand." Tayuya looked puzzled, as she lifted her hand, letting Shikamaru see the place where she had stabbed herself to fool Katsu. Blood was pouring from the wound, running down Tayuya's wrist and past Shikamaru's fingers. He fixed her with a concerned look, but the redhead just smiled and shook her head. "Don't worry about me, I've had worse than this. You're the one who needs help," she assured him with a smile.

It had been necessary to stab herself, Tayuya told herself. It had been a ploy to get close to Katsu, by making him thinking that she had finally made the 'right' choice. As she had hoped, he had not noticed that the blood on her hand was her own, but had instead jumped to the conclusion that it was Shikamaru's. As she had hoped, he was not careful enough around her, a mistake which had given her the chance to plunge the kunai into his heart. Her hand throbbed dully with pain, but it was a pleasant agony. Every pulse was one which confirmed their triumph. She had finally severed the bond that connected her with her former master. For better or worse, she had tied her fate to the person she held in her arms now. And it felt good.

The smile on her lips quickly disappeared as she looked down at Shikamaru's side. The shirt he was wearing was slowly turning darker, and as she removed her hand from underneath his lower back, it came away bloody. She stared at the crimson fluid on her hand, her mind slowly processing the fact that it wasn't her own blood. Shikamaru too was looking down at his own side, his expression puzzled. It seemed like he had equal problems processing what he was seeing.

Strangely, Shikamaru didn't feel much pain from his side. The wound had obviously re-opened despite the healing he had received, and yet there was only a minor physical discomfort. His vision suddenly felt blurry, and he now realized the light-headedness he had felt the past few minutes was the effects of blood loss setting in.

As his vision darkened and Shikamaru slipped into unconsciousness for the second time that day, he was only faintly aware of more chakra presences arriving, and of Tayuya shouting something he couldn't quite decipher. The only thing he could properly make out was the panic in her voice.

**To Be Continued…**

Oh noes! Will Shikamaru be okay? And what about the rest of the Konoha team? Are they all all right?

This marks the beginning of the end of this particular fanfic. Tayuya and Shikamaru have bested their strongest enemy so far, and the only question now is where their road will take them next :) As always, comments and criticism is very welcome! :D

Until next time, stay tuned!


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